Lincoln Collection at the Allen County Public Library

Ever since the announcement that the documents from the Lincoln Collection at the former Lincoln Museum would move to the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, I’ve been anxious to see just what treasures are in the collection. If the first round of digital images are any indication, the collection is beyond “cool.”

When the Lincoln Museum closed, the Lincoln Financial Foundation gave the artifacts to the Indiana State Museum and the records to the Allen County Public Library. Work has begun on digitizing the records and posting them online. The images that they’ve posted so far are rather tantalizing. My favorite is an undated note written by Lincoln: “Let Master Tad have a Navy sword. A. Lincoln”.

Although not part of the Lincoln Collection, the Genealogy Center at ACPL also has posted an image of a silk ribbon commemorating Lincoln’s death. As they note on the website, it is a rare glimpse into life in Fort Wayne at the time, as the newspapers from April 1865 have been lost.

A recent article in the Journal Gazette has some behind-the-scene photos and more detail about the Lincoln Collection at ACPL. It will be interesting to watch as more and more images are posted on the Lincoln Collection website.

Posted: September 26, 2009.

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  • Hi Amy! We are so glad that you are excited about the Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection. We are too! Just so you know, the Indiana State Museum will open two exhibits on Lincoln on Feb. 12, 2010: With Malie Toward None: The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibition (from the Library of Congress) and With Charity for All: The Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection. With Charity for All features artifacts from the former Lincoln museum in Ft. Wayne. Hope to see you there!