Abraham Lincoln in New Bedford, Massachusetts

[Linda Anderson]

I visited New Bedford this weekend and was told that Lincoln had visited the city. I did a little research and found this article published in 2009. It's interesting that Lincoln is described as having "sad eyes" even in 1848.

The author of the article, Deacon James N. Dunbar, writes, "But what I learned that day was that Lincoln as a member of Congress had actually visited New Bedford to make a political speech, as well as another in Taunton, as he toured Massachusetts from September 12 to 21 in 1848 stumping in support of General Zachary Taylor, the Whig candidate for president.

"What was even more interesting was that while as youngsters we had learned how Lincoln grew up in a log cabin in Illinois, his connection to Massachusetts dated to 1637, when his English ancestor, Samuel Lincoln — actually his great-great-great-great-grandfather — arrived in the new colony and settled in Hingham on Cape Cod where he was employed as a weaver. Many of Samuel Lincoln’s descendents remained in Hingham for generations."

http://www.anchornews.org/news/february_...2009_4.php