Lincoln in Washington

There are only two documented appearances of Abraham Lincoln in Washington.

However, there are no fewer than thirteen documented instances where Lincoln was involved in court cases with Washington residents.  These trials (and many others as Lincoln participated in over 275 trials in Tazewell County alone) would have been in Tremont, Metamora (known as Hanover in the early days), Versailles (extinct Woodford County town southeast of Eureka), or Pekin.  In his travels to these courthouses, Lincoln passed through Washington many times.  There are quite a few anecdotal stories of Lincoln appearing in Washington, which may or may not have occurred on his travels to a courthouse.  No documentation has been found to support the information in these stories.  Most can only be sourced from second-hand references many years after the events happened.  These anecdotal stories may very well be true or a piece of someone’s imagination. 

1st Documented Appearance of Lincoln in Washington

On November 2, 1848, Abraham Lincoln appeared in Washington with Anson G. Henry of Springfield stumping for Zachary Taylor in his bid for the presidency.  This appearance of Lincoln in Washington is documented in the 10/27/1848 issue of the Illinois Journal and contemporary Lincoln itineraries.

Coverage of the Washington speech has not been found, but a summary of the speech given one day earlier in Lacon said the following:

Summary of Speech at Lacon, Illinois, 1 November 1848

On Wednesday evening Dr. Henry, the Whig Elector for the Sangamon District, and Hon. A. Lincoln, addressed a numerous assemblage of our citizens from all parts of the county. Dr. H. took up the same subjects that were discussed by Mr. Knowlton; and upon them made a speech of much force and power. Mr. Lincoln followed him, with one of his most brilliant efforts. His main purpose was to show that the peace and prosperity of the country, and the limitation of slavery depended upon the election of a Whig Congress and Gen. Taylor; that the Old Hero, whose fidelity to Whig principles none should now doubt, had pledged himself to carry out the will of the people, through their representatives, without interposing the veto power. He declared that the contest was between Taylor and Cass—that he doubted that Van Buren would get even one State, except perhaps the little state of Wisconsin; and admonished all “Liberty” or Van Buren men, by the history of Texan Annexation to cast their votes for Gen. Taylor, and not indirectly for Gen. Cass, who has avowed his favor of the unlimited exercise of the veto power, and as a probably consequence if elected, to the unbounded extension of slavery, [etc.] He scored with the most scathing language, that “consistency” of the Abolitionists, which, while they professed great horror at the proposed extension of slave territory, they aided in the election of Mr. Polk; for which, and its disastrous consequences, they were responsible, as they held the balance of power. 

After listening about four hours to the gentlemen, the audience retired, highly entertained and instructed with the strong array of facts and illustrations presented. (The Papers of Abraham Lincoln Digital Library)

2nd Documented Appearance of Lincoln in Washington

Lincoln was scheduled to speak in Metamora on Monday, October 4, 1858.  He arrived in Washington that morning…

Previous arrangements having been made, the people assembled at an early hour in the morning, circled around the square, and were actively engaged in adjusting flags, banners and mottoes, preparatory to their exodus from town.  It will be understood that Hon. A. Lincoln was advertised to speak at Metamora on the above day, and that he was expected to arrive from the south by the Central railroad, and, being landed at Eureka, proceed thence to Metamora.  But while the procession was forming here, Mr. Lincoln arrived on the 9 o’clock freight train from Peoria, accompanied by Hon. Wm. Kellogg and others, and found no one at the depot to conduct him into town, but in his attempt to pilot his own way was met by Mr. J. N. Harlan, who kindly assisted him in carrying his valise.  Mr. Lincoln took the whole assembly by surprise when he appeared in front of the square.  He was introduced and shook hands with a number of individuals, among which was a delegation of about a dozen ladies occupying a single wagon in the procession.  No formal reception was extended to him, publicly, by his friends.

A carriage was soon prepared for his conveyance to Metamora.  While this was being done, the teams formed into line and drove east and then south down High Street, and came round into Main street; forming a procession reaching from Capt. Danforth’s house to the north side of the square.  Thus formed, at a given signal the long train moved from town at about the same hour named in the description for last Thursday.  The number of teams are variously put from 49 to 52; and the number of persons, as counted, ranged from 289 to 300…Mr. Lincoln returned here on Monday evening.  Preparations were hastily made and a respectable crowd listened to speeches from Mr. Parks, Mr. Lincoln, Mr. Kellogg and Maj. Cullom.  At a late hour the assembly broke up and retired; Mr. Lincoln and his associates left for Peoria on the 5 o’clock train Tuesday morning.  Thus ends the visits of the great men of Illinois at Washington. (Washington Investigator October 7, 1858)

Anecdotal Appearances of Abraham Lincoln in Washington

In continuing the early reminiscences of J. A. Andrews, Sr., this week we give the following new and interesting Abraham Lincoln anecdotes: Mr. Andrews remembers listening to an address delivered by Abraham Lincoln in Washington in 1844.  The question discussed was a “Protective Tariff.”  It was the year Henry Clay ran for president and he spoke in the old Presbyterian church, which was located where the present church stands, which is the third one to be built on the same ground.  The speech was a good plain one and just filled the bill.  He espoused Henry Clay’s idea of the tariff. (Washington Post February 20, 1903)

It is a documented fact that Henry Clay was indeed running for president in 1844 and was promoting the protective tariff.  Lincoln gave speeches in support of Clay during this time, which can be found in Tremont and Metamora during 1844 for his legal work, but there is no documented evidence that this appearance took place.  In 1844, there were two Presbyterian congregations in Washington, so we cannot be positive Lincoln’s appearance if it indeed occurred, took place at the site where the current church now stands.

In the forties Lincoln was in Washington and attended a big log rolling at the old saw mill.  He was a big, wiry man and could roll more logs than any of them.  He was a great on telling yarns and told many on that occasion which his hearers loved to tell about years afterwards. (same article as last story)

There is nothing in this story that we can corroborate to aid or dispute its credibility, except that Lincoln biographer David Herbert Donald wrote that as a teenager in Indiana, Lincoln would attend "'house raisings, log rolling corn shucking and workings of all kinds.’ To be sure, he got bored easily and on many of these occasions, as Dennis Hanks remembered, ‘would commence his pranks tricks - jokes stories, and all would stop - gather around Abe and listen.’"

“I was personally acquainted with Lincoln from 1849 until he became president.  He used to come to my father’s tan yard to buy leather in 1848-49.  He and I took to one another and I met him numerous times from that time up until he was chosen president.” (story told by Flavel Bascom Gibson in a February 19, 1909 Washington Post article)

Mr. Gibson was one of the few men living today who was well acquainted with Abraham Lincoln, having often met him as the noted lawyer was on his way to attend court at Metamora and other county seats in this part of Illinois.  He was an ardent admirer of the great emancipator all his life.  (Washington Post & News, obituary for Flavel Bascom Gibson, May 15, 1913)

There is nothing to substantiate or discount these stories. Gibson was born in 1833 and lived in Washington until 1855.

“Lincoln arrived here on June 23, 1860 to speak in a wigwam that was erected east of the present site of the city building.  A welcoming committee known as the “Wide Awakes,” who wore black oil cloth capes and caps, carried torches and paraded in the evening to the local fife and drum corps.  During the parade candles were lighted on sticks with paper tied around them which were carried by other celebrants.  Excitement ran high when the paper around some of the candles caught fire.” (Tazewell County Reporter, 1962)

There is no evidence of Lincoln doing any stumping in the summer of 1860; all of his itineraries during that time show him home in Springfield.  This was six weeks after he had been nominated as the Republican nominee for president, and the custom during that time was that the candidate remained secluded during the run-up to the election.  The wigwam was constructed by the Wide Awakes in the summer of 1860 for political rallies, and there is anecdotal evidence to support that the actual speaker that day was Judge Leonard Swett.

As a husband and father he was almost adored.  He was very hospitable and social.  Abraham Lincoln has told scores of anecdotes and exchanged jokes at his table. (Obituary of Thomas Cress, Washington Republican, August 7, 1884)

Lincoln defended John Randolph Scott and George Kern in cases for harboring Blacks on the local underground railroad.  Scott and Kern were arrested by Constable Thomas Cress under the direction of his brother, Washington Mayor Andrew Cress. Lincoln was opposing counsel to Cress’ actions.

Lincoln would stop to get a fresh drink and water his horse, and if he had moments to spare he would come in the house for a short visit—he and my father were close Abolitionist friends for some years, and my mother would have him sit down for a cup of coffee and a hasty lunch before they went into the parlor for their visit.  The writer has one of those parlor chairs and one of the dining chairs in our Denver home the Great Emancipator enjoyed while visiting at the old Scott home. (Tazewell County Reporter February 13, 1947, story told by Lincoln Scott)

These would be second-hand stories as Lincoln Scott was not born until 1860, but Abraham Lincoln defended Scott’s father in a trial regarding his role in the Underground Railroad.

A sign was erected in front of the house at 110 N Elm Street in the 1970’s.

This designation is problematic because the Tazewell County GIS website lists the house at 110 N. Elm Street as being constructed in 1888. There is also no evidence that Lincoln stayed at the house other than a story passed down through many generations of property owners.

“Dick” Smith’s store in Washington was the rendezvous for such “giants of those days” as Lincoln, who practiced law in Tazewell and Woodford Counties, Richard Yates, the old War Governor; Robert G. Ingersoll, “Roaring Dick Oglesby, “Long John” Wentworth, “Long” and Sam Jones, John A. Logan, “the Black War Eagle,” and others whose names are woven in the history of stormy days that came in ’61. (Abraham Lincoln in Peoria, Illinois by B.C. Bryner, published 1924)

The 1924 book by Bryner is the only mention of this meeting of several significant Illinois political leaders in Washington, Illinois, sixty years after the fact.  Richard D. Smith’s obituary from 1901 lists his longtime friendship with Senator Shelby Cullom but no mention of a relationship with Lincoln. It is documented that Smith did not move to Washington until the Spring of 1859 at the earliest, and by the “stormy days of 1861,” Lincoln was already President.  One could speculate that the writer was not referring to a specific meeting of all of those individuals, which is very unlikely, but simply the store as a stopping point for travelers of significance.