Where did the Lincolns live after the Globe Tavern?

[Rob Wick]

Well, I think you're all going to be disappointed.

I got the letters from the Beveridge Papers, and all that Burlingame wrote is pretty much all that's in the letter.

Jacob C. Thompson was the assistant superintendent of Springfield schools. He and Beveridge wrote to each other numerous times. I had my researcher scan all the letters, and they total over 90 pages. Here is the letter in its entirety.

May 19, 1925

Hon. Albert J. Beveridge
Indianapolis, Indiana

Dear Beveridge:

I am returning chapter vi to you in separate cover. The chapter is not only entertaining but well balanced throughout. I have made some marginal notes and beg leave to submit the following:

Page 25. It was Speed's mother, not his wife as is generally understood, who gave the Oxford bible to Mr. Lincoln. Speed was unmarried at this time. Your text is right and a foot-note will make the matter clear if you think it is deserved.

Page 63. James H. Matheny and Beverly Powell (if I have the name right) stood up with Lincoln while Julia Jayne and Anne Rodney acted as bride's maids. Anne Rodney was the sister of the wife of congressman May. There were in fact but 2 bride's maids, altho half a dozen bride's maids have died since I came to Springfield.

Page 64. Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln remained at the Globe Tavern for only a short time after Bob was born August 1, 1843. Bob cried so much he annoyed the other boarders. The Lincolns then moved to a small 1 story frame house at 214 South 4th street, where the Argus Hotel now stands where they remained until they moved into the Lincoln home at 8th and Jackson streets sometime in May 1844. Bowen's Home of Lincoln; statement of George Helme to the writer. The little 1 story frame house stood very near the street; so does the home at 8th and Jackson; this was done to give more room on the lots for vegetable gardens.

Please accept the foregoing for whatever it may be wroth and believe me to be

Yours sincerely
J.C. Thompson

How little the house mattered to Beveridge is shown by the fact that he does not respond to Thompson's mention of it.

Bowen's Home of Lincoln that Thompson referenced was a paper presented to the Lincoln Centennial Association by A.L. Bowen on February 12, 1925. Here is a link to that article. Be aware, however, that several pages are missing. I found nothing that mentioned specifically the Fourth Street house.

It seems to me from this evidence that either Thompson or Helme was Barton's source for the information that appeared in his biography. I would almost think Helme would be the likely candidate. Of course, the only way to be certain would be to look at Barton's correspondence from about 1922 up to 1925 when he was working on the Lincoln book. Despite my hunch, it could very well be someone completely different.

Best
Rob