Abraham Lincoln Collection

The Abraham Lincoln Collection, spanning the dates ca. 1839-1865, (with some undated material) consists of divisional groupings of material, such as the Presidential Papers, Legal Papers, etc. The bulk of the material spans the dates 1844-1865. The manuscript sources are cited and summarized in this guide, with an index. In addition to the listed and related source, ninety-seven (97) reels of microfilm of the Abraham Lincoln Papers (Library of Congress) are available for research. Other resources include approximately 10,000 books, vertical file material, pamphlets, sheet music, broadsides, scrapbooks, photographs, and newspapers: the vast majority on the subjects of Abraham Lincoln and the American Civil War.

The nucleus of the collection consists of the various papers, among them are the Legal Papers, consisting of more than 150 items. They originated circa 1839-1861 and include undated material. Significant among the other series are the Presidential Papers, comprised of both incoming and outgoing correspondence, memorandums, and other documents associated with President Lincoln. The inclusive date ranges are from December 1860 to March 1865 and include some undated material. Some of the documents originated while Lincoln was President- elect and are included in this series; altogether, the series contains over 70 items. The Personal Papers consists of only 4 items and range from circa 1849 to 1860. A Miscellaneous series (1853-1865; n.d.) is comprised of an eclectic group of Lincoln-related items, including a deed for a lot in the town of Lincoln, Sangamon County, Illinois (1853); a check written to Lincoln and Lamon (1854); a personal check issued by A. Lincoln, in the amount of $4,800.00, which historians say was for the purpose of dividing the cash with his law partner, Herndon; a wax imprint (personal seal of President Lincoln); various poems and proclamations in commemoration of President Lincoln; various autographs of Abraham Lincoln; and an issue of the New York Daily Tribune (May 6, 1865) carrying news of the assassination. The Ephemera includes, but is not limited to, campaign ribbons and two authentic theatre tickets from Ford's Theatre that are dated April 14, 1865, the evening of Lincoln's assassination, and March 27, 1865.