Lincoln's Ladder to the Presidency: The Eighth Judicial Circuit

Acknowledgments

xix Acknowledgments This book would not have been written without the early encouragement of Minor Myers jr., then president of Illinois Wesleyan; Michael Burlingame ; and Cullom Davis, then coeditor of the monumental The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln, Complete Documentary Edition. This book could not have been written without The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln. This major achievement of Lincoln scholarship has already made and will certainly have a major impact on knowledge of Lincoln. This edition is the foundation upon which all of the research that went into this book is based. In addition to Cullom Davis, I thank the present editor of the Papers of Abraham Lincoln, Daniel Stowell, and his associate editors, John Lupton, Stacy Pratt McDermott, and Christopher Schnell. Their patient responses to my many inquiries are much appreciated. I am particularly grateful for the steady, constant advice and assistance of John Hoffmann, curator of the Illinois History and Lincoln Collections at University Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. James Cornelius, who was working with John when the work started and is now curator of the Collection of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Museum , was especially helpful. Thanks also to former curator Kim Bauer. I’ve had the encouragement and support of Frank Williams from the beginning. I’m grateful for the early encouragement of Doug Wilson, Ronald C. White, and Larry Ratner. No recent book on Abraham Lincoln has been written that does not acknowledge the contribution of the eminent past Illinois State Historian Tom Schwartz, and I do the same. The staff of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library was always helpful, including Kathryn Harris, Cheryl Schnirring, Gwen Podeschi, and Dennis Suttles. Each of the Eighth Judicial Circuit towns has its own core of Lincoln supporters, almost as was the case during Lincoln’s twenty-three years on the circuit. These people keep the Lincoln traditions in their towns alive. xx Acknowledgments Remarkably, they know and appreciate Lincoln as one of their own and with a pride born of the knowledge that their predecessors helped shape him. The time and effort they spend in perpetuating the Lincoln story are for no purpose other than serving the legend, with no expectancy of compensation or recognition. The passion and generosity of these people are responsible, in no small part, for the completion of this book. They are, by county: Champaign—Steve Beckett, Vicki Rowe, Cliff Shipley, Barbara Garvey, Anke Voss, French Fraker Sr., Anita Hodge, Iris Swanson, Allison Davis Wood, and Tim Hartin. Christian—Judge Ronald J. Spear. DeWitt—Charlotte O’Dea, Joey Woolridge, Helen Stites, Tom Rudisill, Larry Buss, Joyce Neuman, and Jenny Freed. Edgar—Chuck Hand, Ned Jenison, Kay Grabow, Patsy Berry, Bruce Baber, and Tim Saiter. Livingston—Congressman Tom Ewing, Barbara Sanken, Collins Miller, Steve Walters, and Donovan Gardner. Logan—Paul Beaver, Ron Keller, Shirley Bartlemay, Phil Bartaloni, Betty Hickey, Paul Gleason, Paul Adams, John Gehlbach, and Wally Kautz. Macon—Pat McDaniel and Brent Wieldt. Mason—Jim Sarff. McLean—Marcia Young, Pat Schley, Greg Koos, John Krueger, Bill Kemp, Fred Wollrab, Bob Lenz, Toni Tucker, Maureen Brunsdale, Vanette Schwartz, Robert Eckley, Fred Dolan, Stuart Winger, Robert Neuleib, and Gretchen Knapp. Menard—Al Grosboll, Ray Montgomery, and John Eden. Moultrie—Janet Roney and Paul Stone. Piatt—Thelma Tuggle, Lucia Wilken, Irene Lindell, and Pat Heykorysak. Sangamon—Nicky Stratton, Curtis Mann, Richard Hart, Wayne Temple, Tim Townsend of the Lincoln Home Site, Bob Crosby, and Hal Smith. Shelby—Whitney Hardy, Glen Wright, June McCain, and Donna Lupton. Tazewell—Carol Dorward, Mark Bailey, Steve Monday, Lori Walsh, Mark Walsh, Carl M. Adams, and Don Nieukirk. Vermillion—Sue Richter, Don Richter, Judge John O’Rourke, and Donna Kenney. Woodford—Shirley Adams, Rhea Edge, Mary Selk, Paige Proctor, Charlene Proctor, Murlene Kramer, James Stoller, Allen Schwab, and Jean Myers. xxi Acknowledgments And in Terre Haute, Indiana—Barbara Carney, Mike McCormick, and Susan Hahn; Lincoln’s boyhood home, William Bertelt. I also thank the descendants of Lincoln’s contemporaries who are listed separately in the bibliography for their assistance. Their guidance in pursuing the Lincoln story in central Illinois was invaluable. Their continued residence in central Illinois maintains Lincoln’s continued presence there. I thank the readers of my initial draft: my brother Bill, longtime copyeditor of Barrons; Nancy Steele Brokaw, a talented author in her own right; Illinois State University scholar, Mark Plummer; and Frank Williams. Thanks to Sara Gabbard for her valuable suggestions. I thank...