Illinois State Genealogical Society Blog

Within the last few weeks, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign submitted digital versions of several books about Abraham Lincoln to Internet Archive .  Through Internet Archive, you can access a variety of media that are archived in a digital format.  Books are often available to read online from the website and many have the option to download a PDF version. Below are some of the Lincoln titles that were recently added. History of the Lincoln Family: An Account of the Descendants of Samuel Lincoln, of Hingham, Massachusetts, 1637-1920 Lincoln’s Springfield, A Guide Book & Brief History The Trial of Mary Todd Lincoln The Life of Abraham Lincoln, Volume 1 The Life of Abraham Lincoln, Volume 2 Abraham Lincoln in Decatur The Philosophy of Abraham Lincoln in His Own Words The Lincoln Story Lincoln and Springfield The Story of Lincoln’s Tomb and Its Three Constructions The Tragic Career of Mary Todd Lincoln Abraham Lincoln in Peoria Abraham Lincoln’s Spe...

A recent story on the CNN website suggests that a member of the ill-fated Donner Party carried several documents related to Abraham Lincoln on their journey.  It appears that muster rolls from the 1832 Black Hawk War - portions with Lincoln's handwriting - were transported to California by James Reed and were considered family heirlooms. Talk about serendipity - who would have ever considered such a connection between this group of pioneers and a US President?  It just goes to show you that there are connections and genealogical information to be found in a variety of places and sources. See the full story here and play the video below for more information on this fascinating story. © 2010, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum has just acquired a rare photograph of Lincoln's son, Tad, dated 1861 when the child was 8 years of age. Read more at: Rare photo of Tad Lincoln, 8, on display in Springfield © 2010, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society