The Jefferson Lemen Compact - Was it True

[maharba]

I see this info at an online site "If These Walls Could Talk",

No history of Salem would be complete without the history of the Lemen-Frakes House and the lives of the people who entered therein.

Benjamin F. Lemen was born in St. Clair County, Illinois in the year 1814, four years before Illinois became a state. He was the grandson of James Lemen, Revolutionary War officer and good friend of President Thomas Jefferson. James was also the founder of the first First Baptist Church in the State of Illinois..Rev. Lemen moved to Salem in 1842, the year of his marriage of..Rev. Lemen had his house built the year he moved to Salem in 1842..It is the oldest house in Salem today. The Lemens..were good friends of the Lincoln's and were frequently visited by Abraham Lincoln when he was in Salem. He spent the night with them on more than on occasion, one time being in June of 1849. He slept on the couch in the parlor, which he prefered. The couch is now located in the Lincoln Room of the Governor's Mansion in Springfield, Illinois..."

I can't believe this man never existed, or was not a stalwart against slavery, that James never really founded the church mentioned, that this house never existed, that Rev Lemen never came to Salem, IL. What about being friends with Lincoln, the dated visit, the couch now in the Gov Mansion. Is that true, I wonder.

Let me make a guesstimate at what may have taken place. I will change this (idle speculation) as more information. The Lemen family were indeed Christians who came from VA to ILL. They were in fact strong factors in having Illinois become a
non-slavery state. Either Jefferson and Lincoln never heard of them, or someone is lying --maybe better said 'embellishing' history. I wonder: could someone(s) who was formulating a Lemen family history FAKED the claims of 'an agreement with Thomas Jefferson' and later decided to gild it further by FORGING a letter from Abraham Lincoln? Now, I'll backdown from that speculation. Could it be that Lemen did know Thomas Jefferson but there was no overt/spoken or written statement from Thomas Jefferson directing or asking Rev Lemen to go to Illinois (area) and stop the spread of slavery. What about Lincoln knowing and visiting the Lemens in Salem IL. Is it possible that Lincoln did indeed write to them, but perhaps a short letter of thanks saying very little, and that 'some Lemen family member' took that and greatly embellished it and added much more than Lincoln had written?