What are you reading now?

[L Verge]

Ralph's book has been a good seller at Surratt House.

There is one place that Lincoln is said to have spent the night while a Congressman, but I have never seen written proof of it. That place existed until the 1960s and was named the Marlborough Hotel. It was in the Prince George's County seat of Upper Marlboro, Maryland - about fifteen minutes from Surrattsville. I remember it from my childhood, but it was in poor condition at that time. It had to be demolished to make way for a new county administration building (a modern monstrosity of the 1970s that is totally out of keeping in the town that dates back to the 1790s).

Both Joan Chaconas and I have seen reference to this years ago, separately, but we have never been able to verify it. I believe the year was 1848(?). If I remember correctly, it is not in Lincoln Day By Day.

It stands to reason, however, that Lincoln might have been in our county seat campaigning for the Whig Party at that time. Prince George's County was a strong, economic base for the State of Maryland and was just across the D.C. line. In fact, most of the District of Columbia was created out of Prince George's County, Maryland. And, it was the largest slave holding county in the state.