Were Lincoln and Ward Hill Lamon law "partners?"

[Houmes]

(08-14-2012 03:28 PM)Rob Wick Wrote:  When practicing law, Lincoln had three law partners, John Todd Stuart, Stephen T. Logan, and William Herndon.

However, from time to time, I see it mentioned that Lincoln and Ward Hill Lamon were also law partners. Did they ever have a formal agreement of a partnership, or was the arrangement (if it existed) just in effect when Lincoln was trying a case in Danville? It seems that calling them partners was more an invention of either Lamon or Clint Clay Tilton to puff up Lamon's biography, but if that isn't the case, then why not say Lincoln had four law partners?

Best
Rob

Lincoln and Lamon were not established legal partners. They frequently joined forces when Lincoln was in the area during his circuit work. Lamon was quite proud of this relationship, even advertising a notice in the local Iroquois Journal July 6, 1853, that "Lincoln & Lamon, Attorneys at Law, having formed a co-partnership, will practice..." Lincoln was supposedly amused and did not object. Lamon even had business cards printed with the same information--if you compare the card with the newspaper advertisement, it's clearly the same ad only printed on a business card. They have a framed card at Lamon's house in Danville, IL.