Traveling Lincoln Assassination Museum

[historybuff22]

I will be taking my Traveling Lincoln Assassination to the annual celebration in Ubly, Michigan - its in the thumb area. In it are original newspapers, broadsides, letter, diary of a resident of Washington City, sheet music, CDVs, stereo views, a mourning ribbon worn by a senator from Pennsylvania at Lincoln's funeral in Philadelphia, engravings, and more. (See attached image.)

I will also be giving 3 different presentations: Little-Known Facts About the Lincolns and the Civil War; The Children of Abraham and Mary Lincoln; and Michigan's Connection to the Aftermath of the Lincoln Assassination (primarily about Lafayette and Luther Baker.)

Dates of this event are July 12, 13, and 14. Crowds in excess of 20,000 people are expected.

   

   

Rick Brown
HistoryBuff.com
A Nonprofit Organization

[Gene C]

Looks great Rick. I'm intigued about Lafayette and Luther. On a sepeerate thread I would enjoy reading what you have to say about Mask of Treason and those two interesting people. You can even throw in a little about Andrew Potter.

[historybuff22]

I haven't read this book yet - I tend to try to obtain primary source material. For my Baker's research so far I have amassed over 800 pages of documents. Lafayette Baker was sure a busy man. Hired by Stanton as a government detective from 1862 to 1865, his personal papers fill 137 MICROFILM reels!!! I have just started going through the index to names file.

A side point here: Lafayette Curry Baker purchased land from the state of Michigan located in downtown Lansing. He paid $285 for it. After about six months he sold the property to a man for $10,000. Two weeks later he sold the same property to another man for $30,900. A Month later sold the same property to a different man for $60,000.

So far I have copies of 34 different property transactions from the Baker family between 1843 and 1867!

Another unanswered question concerns Luther Baker. In July 1865 he purchased a farm outside the city limits of Lansing for $8,000. There was only a house and barn on the property - no livestock or crops - that was 5.6 acres in size. ALL other farms in the same area sold from $200-$500! In 1867 Luther decided he could not make a living by farming, so he sold the farm for $500. Go figure! Money laundering?

Rick Brown
HistoryBuff.com
A Nonprofit Organization

[Rob Wick]

Rick,

Are you referring to the Turner-Baker papers when you mention 137 reels. Those aren't Baker's personal papers, and only 10 reels actually deal with Baker. They are the case files for some of his investigations while in the War Department.

Good luck in finding what you can find out about Lafayette. He's a slippery character.

Best
Rob

[Gene C]

Rick, sorry I got my book titles mixed up...I meant Death to Traitors by Jocob Mogelever

[historybuff22]

(07-11-2013 01:30 PM)Gene C Wrote:  Rick, sorry I got my book titles mixed up...I meant Death to Traitors by Jocob Mogelever

I didn't like Mogelever's book because there was no references to primary sources so I could find and verify.

Rick Brown
HistoryBuff.com
A Nonprofit Organization

---

Yes, these are the papers I referenced. The National Archive calls them Lafayette C. Baker Papers, so I called them that name.

Rick Brown
HistoryBuff.com
A Nonprofit Organization

[LincolnMan]

Rick brought his Lincoln Assassination Museum to our annual Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War installation of officers last month. He did a fine job- and the "museum" was quite interesting. Thanks again Rick!