Kudos, Anita! Rochester was indeed the winning name in Susan's contest. She announced the contest here and the winning name here. These pages are part of the terrific website Susan has!

Anita, you win very best wishes for the Holiday Season and a wonderful 2016. Plus free coffee and desert at the Hello Kitty Café.

Love my prize Roger. It's the cat's meow!

Just curious - why did "Rochester" ("rock fortress") make the race?

I'd enjoy that prize, Roger! Congratulations, Anita!

Eva, Mr. Rochester is the hero in Charlotte Bronte's novel Jane Eyre. To give the contestants something to work with, I told them that Nora (the fictional Nora, that is) was an avid reader of Charlotte Bronte's novels, among other characteristics.

Thanks, Susan, now I remember - very suitable and it sounds nice for a cat, too!

(12-25-2015 10:55 PM)Susan Higginbotham Wrote:  I'd enjoy that prize, Roger! Congratulations, Anita!

Yes as for both!

We know Lincoln enjoyed the theater. I don't know if he attended this performance. What was the name of the play performed in Springfield, Il in January 1843?

The Miser of Marseilles?

That's a great guess Roger but the wrong play. This play was a romantic drama in three acts written by Thomas Egerton Wilks.

Could it be The roll of the drum: a romantic drama in three acts?

Wilks wrote many plays so here is the one that was produced on Jan. 5th & 6th 1843 as reported in the Sangamon Journal.

   

Roger, since you're the only one who even tried to answer, you win two tickets to any play you can find as long as they cost 25 cents each. Just send me the bill.

Anita/Roger, is this mentioned in some book? (I seem to have read but couldn't find.) Thanks!

Roger, with regard to inflation, what cost $0.25 in 1843 would cost $6.42 in 2015. Knowing that probably enlarges options...

Eva, I do not recall seeing this in a Lincoln book, but I am sure it's in the literature somewhere.

I just made a guess based on this page:

http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/web...01812-1854

(01-11-2016 05:30 PM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  Anita/Roger, is this mentioned in some book? (I seem to have read but couldn't find.) Thanks!

Roger, with regard to inflation, what cost $0.25 in 1843 would cost $6.42 in 2015. Knowing that probably enlarges options...

Eva, I actually found the notice in the Sangamon paper and then did a search. I found the play listed on library sites and a few references to Wm. P. Hastings, manager but no other mentions about the performance in Springfield. Nor could I find any information about "Wenlock of Wenlock" being performed anywhere else in America.

Roger, since Eva raised the issue and I don't want to appear cheap, your prize is adjusted to $6.42/ticket to account for inflation.

The state of Illinois donated $50,000.00 for the construction of the Lincoln Tomb. This was the largest amount donated by any state. Some other states also donated money. Nebraska was one of the states which donated - how much did Nebraska give?