Most people know who Abraham Lincoln was and know of the great things he accomplished during his lifetime. Of course, if you were not raised in the United States, you probably might only know that he was a President of the United States and wore a tall hat. For those who were raised here, or did more research on him, you know that he is one of our most famous Presidents, governing the country during the civil war and championing the ending of slavery in the United States.

Abraham Lincoln is one of the most interesting of the past Presidents of the United States as well as one of the most iconic. President Lincoln was a politician and lawyer before his time as the 16^th President of the United States. He served as President from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. President Lincoln was the first United States President to be assassinated, and it was a very hard and terrible experience for our country. The country was still divided from the Civil War – a division that was only emphasized when a Confederate supporter, John Wilkes Booth, shot President Lincoln during a performance of “Our American Cousin” at Ford’s Theater. Though President Lincoln lived for a short while afterwards, Booth’s attack ultimately resulted in his death.

There are many people who love to collect memorabilia of past Presidents, especially President Lincoln. At Stapleton Library, thanks to the donations of Dr. Earl J. and Ann S. Hunt from Johnstown, PA, we have the Abraham Lincoln Collection at the IUP Special Collections and University Archives, Manuscript Group 136. Some of the items we have in our collection is: brochures, pamphlets, papers, coins, plates, busts of Abraham Lincoln, A Civil War presidential pardon (handwritten), and many more items!

 

If you want more information or would like to explore our special collections, come over to the library and check it out!