I just read the following article from 1905:

https://app.box.com/s/fxrady3y1c4n2pvx1h73ahajpwj82c8d

J.L. Hanks is James Lewis Hanks born Feb. 14, 1829 in Illinois, died in Douglas County, Oregon, Aug. 13, 1917, son of John “The Railsplitter” Hanks. The article says: “His father, John Hanks, assisted Lincoln in building the young lawyer’s first cabin in Illinois and they engaged in steamboating together. They made 12 trips down the Mississippi river to New Orleans and other points”. And: “My father assisted him in building a cabin on the place”. The article also says: “He (= J.L. Hanks) was about 12 years old when Abraham Lincoln came to his father’s (= John “The Railsplitter” Hanks) to live and remembers him well. He and Lincoln shared the same bed for a long time”. J. L. Hanks “about 12 years old” means ca. 1841. And the article says: “It was while he was at our house that he began reading law. He borrowed law books from a lawyer at the nearest town ….”

I’m puzzling. I always thought that Lincoln moved to Springfield In the spring of 1837, after having accepted Stuart’s offer to become his junior law partner. I always thought that Lincoln only made two flat boat trips to New Orleans, in 1828 and 1831, not 12. I always thought that John “The Raiulsplitter”Hanks only assisted in building a log cabin in March 1830 when the Lincolns arrived in Macon County, Illinois. J.L. Hanks was 1 year old then. How could he remember that?

Thanks Kees. Looks likd J.L. may have learned the fine art of embellishment from his Uncle Dennis.

It's good C. A. Tripp didn't know about this man's recollections.

(06-05-2015, 04:23 PM)RJNorton Wrote: It's good C. A. Tripp didn't know about this man's recollections.

You're right about that!

Last week I sent a message to the Library of Congress about the possibility of seeing an image of Sophie Hanks. Today I received a response. I will send my address. The message reads:

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"I looked through the Arther E. Morgan Collection today and there are multiple versions of the one photo of Sophie Hanks. Notes with the photos say that the original was a daguerreotype. We have a tintype that's in pretty rough shape as well as some more modern photos of it. I'm not allowed to email images, but I will send you copies in the mail if you give me your address. I'll also include a copy of the paper sleeve holding some of the photos and a typed note about it."

Jonathan Eaker

*********************************
Reference Section
Prints and Photographs Division
Library of Congress

Thanks for doing this, Roger! It seems the LOC doesn't even charge for the copies - that's great!!!

(06-09-2015, 05:38 PM)RJNorton Wrote: Last week I sent a message to the Library of Congress about the possibility of seeing an image of Sophie Hanks. Today I received a response. I will send my address.

That's great Roger! Really very curious about that image!

The image of Sophie Hanks arrived from the LOC today. Many thanks to the LOC for sharing it with us. Along with the image there is a typed note which says, "Lincoln's (first) cousin, Sophie Hanks, who grew up with him in Indiana. Her son was displeased with this likeness because the photographer had retouched it so as to remove a mole on her face. He stated that this mark was characteristic of the Hanks family, and that in location and appearance it was similar to the mole appearing on likenesses of Abraham Lincoln."


Image credit: Arther E. Morgan Collection - Library of Congress

(06-15-2015, 02:13 PM)RJNorton Wrote: The image of Sophie Hanks arrived from the LOC today. Many thanks to the LOC for sharing it with us. Along with the image there is a typed note which says, "Lincoln's (first) cousin, Sophie Hanks, who grew up with him in Indiana. Her son was displeased with this likeness because the photographer had retouched it so as to remove a mole on her face. He stated that this mark was characteristic of the Hanks family, and that in location and appearance it was similar to the mole appearing on likenesses of Abraham Lincoln."

Image credit: Arther E. Morgan Collection - Library of Congress

Thank you Roger for sharing this photo! Indeed the "spittin image" of Honest Abe in my opinion...

Roger (or someone else) do you have a photo of Dr. Lewis A. Warren ? Thanks!

Thanks Roger.

(06-15-2015, 03:45 PM)loetar44 Wrote:

(06-15-2015, 02:13 PM)RJNorton Wrote: The image of Sophie Hanks arrived from the LOC today. Many thanks to the LOC for sharing it with us. Along with the image there is a typed note which says, "Lincoln's (first) cousin, Sophie Hanks, who grew up with him in Indiana. Her son was displeased with this likeness because the photographer had retouched it so as to remove a mole on her face. He stated that this mark was characteristic of the Hanks family, and that in location and appearance it was similar to the mole appearing on likenesses of Abraham Lincoln."

Image credit: Arther E. Morgan Collection - Library of Congress

Thank you Roger for sharing this photo! Indeed the "spittin image" of Honest Abe in my opinion...

Roger (or someone else) do you have a photo of Dr. Lewis A. Warren ? Thanks!

I 100% agree on the resemblance - thanks for ordering and posting, Roger!!! Weren't there also photos of John LeGrand in the Morgan papers? I was hoping they would have sent you a copy of one of those, too.

(06-15-2015, 03:45 PM)loetar44 Wrote: Roger (or someone else) do you have a photo of Dr. Lewis A. Warren ? Thanks!

Kees, I searched for a photo of Dr. Warren, but all I could find was a group photo. I cut the other folks out, and here he is:

Many thanks to Blaine Houmes for sending this image along with a note which reads, "Pics of Louis Warren are hard to find. Here's another, early one."

(06-16-2015, 05:26 AM)RJNorton Wrote: Kees, I searched for a photo of Dr. Warren, but all I could find was a group photo. I cut the other folks out, and here he is:

Thanks Roger! You are again of GREAT help !

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(06-16-2015, 11:33 AM)RJNorton Wrote: Many thanks to Blaine Houmes for sending this image along with a note which reads, "Pics of Louis Warren are hard to find. Here's another, early one."

Roger, Dr. Warren's picture came not through. Seemed it was blocked. Are you able to resend please. Thanks

Kees, try refreshing your browser and see if you can see the photo now. It didn't work at first for me, either, but it does now.