evidence: Abraham Lincoln's gave a speech, which is now called "Lincoln’s Lost Speech" at Major’s Hall in Bloomington (previously at the corner of East and Front Street) on May 29, 1856. The speech was given at the Anti-Nebraska convention and addressed his strong disapproval of slavery. The reasons for why it was "lost" are not clear. There are no notes from reporters of his speech and only a mention of his speech was given in the newspaper. Some say reporters were so engaged by Lincoln’s words that they forgot to take notes, while others claim his words were so controversial, media reports could not be given. But what is clear is that what Lincoln said during his speech was very moving and gave him a huge boost in his campaign. [...] Famous Local Friends of Lincoln [...] On the lawn of the McLean County Museum of History sits a bench with Abraham Lincoln. The bench allows visitors to feel like they are sitting right next to the 16th President of the United States. This location is significant because Lincoln himself tried many cases in the McLean County Courthouse which once existed from 1836 to 1868 on the current spot of the McLean County Museum of History in downtown Bloomington. The bronze bench was dedicated on the 150th anniversary of Bloomington-Normal in the summer of 2000.