Stephen I. Gilchrist Nancy Hanks draft, 1933 | Illinois History and Lincoln Collections

Scope and Contents:

This collection consists of a manuscript written by Stephen Gilchrist in defense of the legitimacy of Nancy Hanks, Abraham Lincoln's mother. The draft, written in 1933, is 236 pages and is inscribed to Thomas Irwin Starr, a Lincoln collector.

Biographical/Historical Context:

Stephen I. Gilchrist of Detroit, Michigan, was director of the Henry B. Joy Historical Research office at the Packard Motor Car Company from 1928 to 1936. During his tenure, Gilchrist wrote an unpublished biography of Lincoln. The historical research office was established in 1928 by the Packard Motor Car Company's president, Henry B. Joy, to research the life and career of his father, James F. Joy, including his contacts with Abraham Lincoln. The office was dissolved in 1936.

Acquisition Source: The Library purchased this manuscript in 1999. Additional items related to Stephen Gilchrist can be found in the Henry B. Joy Historical Research Collection at the University of Michigan's Bentley Historical Library.