Lincoln and flowers

[Rob Wick]

Has anyone ever come across any stories that mention what type of flowers that Lincoln liked? Off the top of my head I can't think of any. I know that some relate the assassination to lilacs given Walt Whitman's "When Lilacs Last in Dooryard Bloom'd." I just can't remember if it ever came up.

Best
Rob

[RJNorton]

As far as I know, Lincoln is not known to have had a favorite flower. At least I have never read that he had one.

[Rob Wick]

Yeah, I've never seen anything like that either Roger. I'm working on a project right now that it would be nice to know such information, but I think I can make it work without it.
'
Thanks!

Best
Rob

[Steve]

I don't know if this is going to be of any help but one of Herndon's informants, Elizabeth Crawford, gave him a list of wildflowers that grew in Spencer Co:


https://books.google.com/books?id=s2gilc...22&f=false

[Rob Wick]

Actually Steve, that's very helpful! Thanks.

Best
Rob

[Gene C]

(07-14-2020 06:41 AM)Rob Wick Wrote:  Has anyone ever come across any stories that mention what type of flowers that Lincoln liked? Off the top of my head I can't think of any.

I don't know about the top of your head, but Mary wore flowers in her hair, so he may have been partial to those.

Which reminds me of a song - Flowers in Your Hair by Derek Ryan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0vFGLVDfN8

[RJNorton]

(07-14-2020 02:36 PM)Gene C Wrote:  Mary wore flowers in her hair

In my files I have a note that says jasmine and violets were some of her favorites.

[Rob Wick]

Quote:I don't know about the top of your head, but Mary wore flowers in her hair, so he may have been partial to those.

Hair? What's that?

Best
Rob

[Eva Elisabeth]

(07-14-2020 06:41 AM)Rob Wick Wrote:  Has anyone ever come across any stories that mention what type of flowers that Lincoln liked? Off the top of my head I can't think of any. I know that some relate the assassination to lilacs given Walt Whitman's "When Lilacs Last in Dooryard Bloom'd." I just can't remember if it ever came up.

Best
Rob

Rob, there was a quote by Lincoln - I think reported by Elizabeth Edwards - that flower and sunsets meant nothing to him. I can't find it right now (was only in one or two books) but will try again tomorrow. He also had zero interest in gardening in Springfield.

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I can't find the online "Herndon's Informants", however, it's cited here:
"Sister-in-law Elizabeth Todd Edwards told Lincoln biographer and law partner William Herndon about the President’s first visit to the conservatory. She visited the White House after Willie Lincoln’s death in February 1862: “One day while there in order to calm his mind, to turn his attention away from business and cheer him up, I took Mr. Lincoln down through the conservatory belonging to the Executive Mansion, and showed him the world of flowers represented there. He followed me patiently through. ‘How beautiful these flowers are! How gorgeous these roses! Here are exotics,’ I exclaimed in admiration, ‘gathered from the remotest corners of the earth, and grand beyond description.’ A moody silence followed broken finally by Mr. Lincoln with this observation: ‘Yes, this whole thing looks like spring; but do you know I have never been in here before. I don’t why it is so, but I never cared for flowers; I seem to have no taste, natural or acquired, for such things.'”5
http://www.mrlincolnswhitehouse.org/resi...d-edwards/
For sure there was another similar quote that included the (meaningless) sunsets.

[Rob Wick]

Thank you Eva. That pretty much answers my question.

Best
Rob

[Steve Whitlock]

(07-16-2020 09:43 PM)Rob Wick Wrote:  Thank you Eva. That pretty much answers my question.

Best
Rob

And yet, Mr Lincoln is supposed to have said:

“Die when I may, I want it said of me by those who knew me best, that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow.”

― Abraham Lincoln
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A web-site called Answers has the following, unsupported best guess:

Did Abraham Lincoln have a favorite flower?
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August 06, 2009 9:10PM

He loved tulips.
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I have no information for any affinity for tulips by Mr Lincoln. Eva's post seems pretty conclusive, but I thought I'd mention those 2 things anyway.

If the thistle quote attributed to Lincoln is proven, I don't think he was actually referring to a flower, except as a metaphor. Perhaps the thistle is an errant thought and the flower a productive thought that might blossom. If so, then Mr Lincoln's favorite flower might reasonably be a useful thought.

[RJNorton]

Joshua Speed is the source of this quote. Speed wrote to William Herndon on January 12, 1866, and reported that Lincoln had said this to him.

Speed reported Lincoln said, “Speed die when I may I want it said of me by those who know me best to say that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow.”

SOURCE: pp. 157-158 of Herndon's Informants.

[David Lockmiller]

(07-17-2020 04:19 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  Joshua Speed is the source of this quote. Speed wrote to William Herndon on January 12, 1866, and reported that Lincoln had said this to him.

Speed reported Lincoln said, “Speed die when I may I want it said of me by those who know me best to say that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow.”

SOURCE: pp. 157-158 of Herndon's Informants.

In February 1865, Joshua Speed witnessed a touching scene in which the president granted the requests of not only two Pennsylvania women for the release of their kinsmen imprisoned for draft dodging but also ordered the release of all conscription evaders in western Pennsylvania. Lincoln explained his decision to Assistant Secretary of War Charles A. Dana, whom he called into the room to draw up the order. “These fellows,” he declared, “[have] suffered long enough and I have thought so for some time, and now that my mind is on it, I will turn out the whole flock.” The women, according to Speed, rushed forward in tears and knelt before the president in thanks. Lincoln directed them to “get up, thank God & go.” The older woman grabbed his hand and said good-bye, sobbing, “I shall never see you again till we meet in Heaven.” Leading her to the door, Lincoln replied, “I am afraid with all my troubles, I shall never get there – But if I do I will find you – That you wish me to get there is the best wish that you could make for me.”

After the women had gone, Lincoln told Speed: “That scene which you witnessed is the only thing that I have done today which has given me any pleasure. I have in that made two people happy. . . . Speed, die when I may I want it said of me by those who knew me best to say that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow.”

(Source: Lincoln’s Last Months, William C. Harris, (2009), page 65.)

[Rob Wick]

I want to thank everyone for their contributions to my question. Given my previous posting, some of you might have guessed that I'm in the process of trying to design a quilt honoring Lincoln. My thought was to break up the blocks into various aspects representative of Lincoln's life. For example, the Kentucky years would be represented by the log cabin block and some of the blocks that pioneer women like Nancy Hanks would have been familiar with. I was looking for some type of flower to represent Indiana. I've decided to go with the Rose of Sharon block, because my research has shown that to be especially important to pioneer families due to its religious significance. Other blocks in the Indiana section include the Bear's Paw (for Lincoln's poem about the wildlife he heard as a boy) and the rail fence (for obvious reasons).

His life in Illinois will be represented by the Broken Heart block for his sadness at the death of Ann Rutledge, Courthouse Steps for his legal career and one I found called Mr. Lincoln's Log, which represents his movement from a log cabin to a frame house in Springfield.

As soon as I get things firmed up I will post my design on here.

Again, thanks all for your input. It is greatly appreciated.

Best
Rob

[Steve Whitlock]

(07-17-2020 11:38 AM)David Lockmiller Wrote:  

(07-17-2020 04:19 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  Joshua Speed is the source of this quote. Speed wrote to William Herndon on January 12, 1866, and reported that Lincoln had said this to him.

Speed reported Lincoln said, “Speed die when I may I want it said of me by those who know me best to say that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow.”

SOURCE: pp. 157-158 of Herndon's Informants.

In February 1865, Joshua Speed witnessed a touching scene in which the president granted the requests of not only two Pennsylvania women for the release of their kinsmen imprisoned for draft dodging but also ordered the release of all conscription evaders in western Pennsylvania. Lincoln explained his decision to Assistant Secretary of War Charles A. Dana, whom he called into the room to draw up the order. “These fellows,” he declared, “[have] suffered long enough and I have thought so for some time, and now that my mind is on it, I will turn out the whole flock.” The women, according to Speed, rushed forward in tears and knelt before the president in thanks. Lincoln directed them to “get up, thank God & go.” The older woman grabbed his hand and said good-bye, sobbing, “I shall never see you again till we meet in Heaven.” Leading her to the door, Lincoln replied, “I am afraid with all my troubles, I shall never get there – But if I do I will find you – That you wish me to get there is the best wish that you could make for me.”

After the women had gone, Lincoln told Speed: “That scene which you witnessed is the only thing that I have done today which has given me any pleasure. I have in that made two people happy. . . . Speed, die when I may I want it said of me by those who knew me best to say that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow.”

(Source: Lincoln’s Last Months, William C. Harris, (2009), page 65.)

Roger and David,

I have that meeting in my notes, but had forgotten the quote. Thank you both for reminding me! So, the thistle in this case is the draft dodger in trouble, and the flower is Lincoln's kindness to the 2 ladies and all the PA draft dodgers. A depiction of that scene might fit as Lincoln's favorite flower on a quilt piece.