Friday, November 7, 2008

Lincoln at the Chicago Historical Museum

October 22nd Chicago Tribune by William Mullen.

The Chicago Historical Museum plans events and exhibits in honor of Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday celebration next year even though he didn't spend a lot of time in the city.

According to Russell Lewis, the museum's chief historian, "He was a leading railway lawyer, and all railroads in those days went through Chicago so he had a lot of important business acquaintances here and a lot of political allies and supporters."

he was even a member of the museum, inducted as an honorary member in January 1861, five years after the museum's founding. After his death, some 1,500 Lincoln artifacts and documents ended up at the museum. Most of these are not on display, but, for the bicentennial, an effort will be made to get them out.

Some of the items are ballots from the Republican National Convention of 1860 in Chicago, campaign banners, his handwritten note to Stephen Douglas agreeing to the debates during his 1858 run at US senator.

The two most famous museum pieces are his death bed and carriage.

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