The Jefferson Lemen Compact - Was it True

[maharba]

Last week I contacted the Illinois Governor's Mansion to inquire about the couch referred to above and cited the ttp://stephenphfrakes.angelfire.com/iLemenFrakesHouse.html website.
I received a call today from the Manager of the Governor's Mansion and was told the following: The Governor's Mansion could find no record of this couch. They had it researched by the Illinois Department of Historic Preservation and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. The result is that there is no record of the couch. They also stated that while Lincoln visited Salem there is no record of any visit to the Lemen House. >

Some much appreciated research, Anita, thanks. But I do remember seeing the sofa pictured somewhere, in a scrapbook of old clippings, an old photo page? It said who bought it and when, who 'verified it' and that it was to be sent on to be displayed in the Illinois governor's mansion. The sofa pictured was more what I'd guess 'empire style' before victorian, and with a fairly nice floral print still covering it.

Maybe it never arrived there,.or maybe like so many museums various relics are sold and records lost? Just because an old article listed all this, still doesn't assure 'Lincoln slept there' or the rest of the Lemen narrative. I'll try and find the old article. In the Lemen family history, there are other various interesting items, and often such and such an item is stated to have been lost in a fire. No indication that the 'Lincoln sofa' was ever burned up, though.