Lincoln Collection

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Fort Wayne, IN
Lincoln Collection

Internationally known collection of Lincolniana and related materials. In 1995 the Foundation provided a new home for the collection--The Lincoln Museum.

This internationally known collection of Lincolniana and related materials began in 1928 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, as the Lincoln Historical Research Foundation, a department of the Lincoln National Life Insurance Company. The collection grew over the decades to include thousands of objects, 19th-century photographs, books, documents, and art related to Abraham Lincoln and his times. Then in 2008, the Lincoln Financial Foundation closed the Museum and donated the collection to the State of Indiana.

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Community Guidelines

The Lincoln Collection is committed to fostering thoughtful, respectful, and engaging conversation about Abraham Lincoln and his era. We welcome a wide range of perspectives and encourage discussion that makes history accessible, human, and relevant. Discussion and interpretation of historical figures are welcome. We ask that claims be made in good faith and, where possible, supported by credible sources. To keep this space constructive and open to all, we ask that comments:

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We recognize that history can raise strong opinions and interpretations. Our goal is to maintain a space focused on respectful, informed discussion—not misinformation or disruption. Failure to follow these guidelines may result in comment removal and/or user bans at the discretion of a Lincoln Collection moderator. In some cases, comment sections may be limited or closed. Our moderation team works to maintain a welcoming and discussion-focused environment. While comments are not monitored at all times, we review and address concerns as promptly as possible. The Lincoln Collection does not endorse any individuals, organizations, businesses, products, or services. Thank you for helping us create a space where history feels human, relevant, and worth discussing.

10/14/2026

Mary Lincoln made her last voyage across the glittering Atlantic at the age of sixty-one. After fighting to regain her freedom and finances from her son, Robert, Mary sought refuge in Europe. She had traveled extensively throughout her life, making multiple trips to Europe and even residing in Pau, France, but this journey would be her last.

Two serious falls brought her time abroad to an end, as failing eyesight and declining independence made it increasingly difficult for her to live alone. Mary returned to Springfield, Illinois, to live with her beloved sister, Elizabeth. Her sister’s house, where she had married Abraham nearly forty years earlier, would also be her final home. Mary died there of a stroke in 1882.

The ghostly hands in this photograph have long drawn attention. Whose do you think they are?

Also, don’t miss Lois Romano discussing her new book, “An Inconvenient Widow,” on October 22 at 7 PM ET.

For more information or to register: https://acpl.libnet.info/event/17368729

10/09/2026

A murder trial gripped the town of Springfield, Illinois, in 1838. One newspaper wrote, “our town was the scene of a most deplorable catastrophe.” That “catastrophe” began with an argument over the political appointment of Henry Truett and ended in bloodshed. When Truett clashed with his detractor, Dr. Jacob Early, the confrontation turned violent as Early brandished a chair as a weapon. Truett responded by fatally shooting the doctor.

Truett was later arrested and charged with murder. He hired several lawyers to defend him, including Abraham Lincoln. The trial, The People v. Truett, lasted just three days. In his closing argument, Lincoln delivered what one account described as a “short but strong and sensible” statement, arguing that Truett had acted in self-defense. The jury found Truett not guilty, and the case added to Lincoln’s growing reputation as a lawyer.

Abraham Lincoln:https://contentdm.acpl.lib.in.us/digital/collection/p15155coll1/id/26/rec/5

10/07/2026

She was only eleven when she had the cheekiness to write to a presidential candidate and advise him that if he grew a beard, he just might win the election. Her name was Grace Bedell, and in October 1860, she wrote to Abraham Lincoln recommending that he grow a beard because, as she put it, “all the ladies like whiskers and they would tease their husbands to vote for you.”

And he took her advice. When Lincoln stopped in New York on his way to Washington in 1861, he had the chance to show off his new beard to the “little Miss.” Unbeknownst to her, Bedell’s advice helped cement the visual identity of one of the most recognizable figures in American history. Lincoln also became the first sitting U.S. president to wear a beard in office. Not bad for an eleven-year-old.

Composite image created from two historical photographs to illustrate the narrative.

Abraham Lincoln, 1858: https://contentdm.acpl.lib.in.us/digital/collection/p15155coll1/id/3262/rec/1

Abraham Lincoln, 1863: https://contentdm.acpl.lib.in.us/digital/collection/p15155coll1/id/3277/rec/300

10/05/2026

Robert Lincoln was twenty-one years old when his father died in 1865. He would spend the remaining sixty-one years of his life working to preserve his father’s legacy while caring for his family and building his own career. One way he honored his father’s legacy was by attending the 38th-anniversary commemoration of the Lincoln-Douglas debates in 1896.

The debates were so contentious that they helped propel a deeply divided nation toward civil war while simultaneously transforming Abraham Lincoln into a nationally recognized figure. At the event, Robert remarked, “On an occasion of this peculiar significance it would suit me far better to be a listener or to give you hearty assurance of the grateful emotions that overcome me on witnessing this demonstration of respect for my father.”

To read Roberts full remarks: https://archive.org/details/speechofhonrober01linc/mode/2up

Robert Lincoln: https://contentdm.acpl.lib.in.us/digital/collection/p15155coll1/id/153/rec/34

10/02/2026

The death of Abraham Lincoln’s “Angel Mother” can likely be traced back to a small, unassuming plant known as white snakeroot. When milk or meat of a cow that had eaten the plant was consumed, as it was by many in the Little Pigeon Creek community in southern Indiana, it could cause a fatal illness known as milk sickness. Nancy Hanks Lincoln, along with her husband and two children, had moved to the area only two years before her death. Later in life, Abraham Lincoln was reported to have said, “God bless my mother; all that I am or ever hope to be I owe to her.”

Composite image created from two Lincoln Collection artifacts.

Painting of Nancy Lincoln: https://www.lincolncollection.org/search/results/item/?cat=14&inst=&title=&creator=&id=&loc=&mat=&desc=&qa=Nancy&sy=&ey=&ud=1&isxn=&series=&pub=&item=51493

Postcard of Nancy's grave: https://www.lincolncollection.org/search/results/item/?cat=18&inst=&title=&creator=&id=&loc=&mat=&desc=&qa=Nancy&sy=&ey=&ud=1&isxn=&series=&pub=&item=110071

09/30/2026

Before she became Mrs. Lincoln, Mary Todd was a lively and ambitious young woman navigating the competitive social world of Springfield, Illinois. In 1839, the twenty-year-old left her childhood home in Lexington, Kentucky, and moved in with her older sister, Elizabeth Todd Edwards. Soon, Mary became a popular guest at Springfield’s parties, where she attracted the attention of prominent men, including Stephen A. Douglas and Abraham Lincoln. Her move marked the beginning of a new chapter in her life, one filled with ambition, triumph, and tragedy.

Don’t miss Lois Romano discussing her new book, “An Inconvenient Widow,” on October 22 at 7 PM ET.

For more information or to register: https://acpl.libnet.info/event/17368729

Edited: 9/30/2026

09/28/2026

When Robert Lincoln’s longtime law partner, Edward Isham, died suddenly at sixty-six, it was a “great shock and grief” for Robert. Nearly fifty-nine years old and increasingly mindful of his own health, he began to consider how he might settle into retirement. “I think I have found that the summer climate of Vermont is better for me than that of the seashore,” he wrote in 1903, “and I have become so convinced of it that I have bought quite a farm near Manchester…” The farm, which encompassed more than one hundred acres, would become the site of Robert’s summer home, Hildene. Though he never fully retired from his professional life, he moved into his summer home in 1905 and finally began living, as one newspaper later put it, “a retired life befitting his advanced years.”

Composite image created from two historical photographs.

Robert Todd Lincoln: https://contentdm.acpl.lib.in.us/digital/collection/p15155coll1/id/237/rec/44

Hildene: https://contentdm.acpl.lib.in.us/digital/collection/p15155coll1/id/1253/rec/4

09/23/2026

We are very excited to announce that Lois Romano will be joining us in October to talk about her new book, "An Inconvenient Widow: The Torment, Trial, and Triumph of Mary Todd Lincoln!"

📅October 22, 2026
🕛7 PM ET
🎟️FREE Admission (No registration is required for in-person attendance.)
📍Main — Allen County Public Library Theater | Fort Wayne, IN
💻Zoom | Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xXZNdUYcSJOvKn7ekSRfyQ #/registration
❓Contact: [email protected]

Romano's new book draws on hundreds of archives, letters, and memoirs to provide the most complete portrait of Mary Todd Lincoln. Can’t attend in person? No problem! Make sure to register at the link above so you can join us virtually!

09/21/2026

Eighty-three days after the bloodiest battle of the Civil War concluded, Edward Everett, one of the most renowned public speakers of his time, was invited to give an address at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. What some might not know is that the dedication was originally scheduled to take place in October 1863. Everett feared he would not have enough time to prepare an appropriate address by the original date, so, to accommodate their principal speaker, the event was postponed to November 19. Yet, despite all of Everett’s careful preparation, history has largely forgotten what he said that day. Abraham Lincoln’s two-minute speech, by contrast, is remembered as one of the most famous speeches in American history.

Edward Everett: https://www.lincolncollection.org/search/results/item/?cat=20&inst=&title=&creator=&id=&loc=&mat=&desc=&qa=edward+everett&sy=&ey=&ud=1&isxn=&series=&pub=&item=42046

Abraham Lincoln: https://www.lincolncollection.org/search/results/item/?cat=20&inst=&title=&creator=&id=&loc=&mat=&desc=&qa=abraham+lincoln&sy=1862&ey=1864&ud=1&isxn=&series=&pub=&item=43854

09/18/2026

The “tyrant of the White House,” as he was known during the Civil War, was none other than Abraham and Mary Lincoln’s youngest son, Tad. As the White House’s resident prankster, Tad, along with his older brother Willie and their friends, the Taft brothers, kept the place lively. According to Julia Taft, the older sister of the Taft brothers, the boys once bombarded the door to the Cabinet Room with a toy cannon. During the bombardment, Holly Taft pinched his finger, prompting President Lincoln to leave a meeting to comfort him. John Hay later wrote an obituary for Tad, describing him as “so full of life” and saying that “he kept the house alive with his pranks and his fantastic enterprises.”

Tad Lincoln: https://contentdm.acpl.lib.in.us/digital/collection/p15155coll1/id/210/rec/36

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900 Library Plaza
Fort Wayne, IN
46802

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http://www.lincolncollection.org/

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