Paul Beaver presents: 'Abraham Lincoln in Logan County, IL
1834-1860'
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[February 21, 2012]
ELKHART --
Paul Beaver, Lincoln College professor emeritus, appeared as guest
lecturer at the Wild Hare Cafe in Elkhart last weekend, for the
first in a new series of dinner lectures sponsored by the Elkhart
Historical Society.
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Forty customers enjoyed the tasty hometown cuisine and
Beaver's talk and PowerPoint presentation, which revealed some of
the topics covered in his recent book by the same title, presenting
Abraham Lincoln's work as a central Illinois surveyor, lawyer and
politician. They learned that Lincoln both naturally and on purpose
cultivated friendships during these years, which did everything to
catapult him from regional to national politics and eventually to
the presidency of the United States.
Several items that have been reported and written in numerous
books about Abraham Lincoln were pointed out by Beaver to be simply
untrue or inaccurate. He supported these findings with documented
research that he has done, including information from interviews
with descendants of family who knew Lincoln in the mid-1800s.
Beaver also revealed information about John D. Gillett, who was a
local cattle baron in those days and who supported his friend
Abraham Lincoln both emotionally and financially in the months of
1860 when Lincoln was a Republican nominee and elected as our 16th
president.
Several known court cases involving Mr. Lincoln in the Postville
and Mount Pulaski county seat venues were discussed, including one
that occurred under a tree along Salt Creek north of Mount Pulaski,
reportedly on the former Emmett Shellhammer farmstead.
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Interestingly, Beaver pointed out that Abraham Lincoln was not
only extremely interested in mechanical contraptions, but further,
is the only president of the United States to ever hold a patent,
which is on display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington,
D.C.
Beaver will again give a presentation on March 16, with his talk
on much of the same material but with emphasis on the "Irish
Connection" to Abraham Lincoln and central Illinois in those days.
For information on times and reservations, visit
www.elkharthistoricalsociety.org.
[Text from file received from Phil Bertoni]
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