Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of a lecture given by Fern Nance Pond at Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois, on February 25, 1944. The lecture is titled "New Salem Restored."
Fern Nance Pond (1889-1960) was a descendant of Parthena Nance Hill, a resident of New Salem, Illinois, from 1835-1839. Pond was born in Nebraska, but her family moved back to Illinois during her childhood. She developed a keen interest in the history of New Salem and Abraham Lincoln's time living there. She was historian of the restoration project and a member of the Cabin Furnishings Committee and the Committee of Authenticity. She and her husband lived in Petersburg, Illinois, about two miles from New Salem.
The lecture, titled "New Salem Restored," was given by Fern Nance Pond on February 25, 1944, to a class at Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois. Pond tells the story of New Salem in four parts—the original town (greatly dispersed by 1840), the restoration movement, reconstruction, and refurnishing. Because Abraham Lincoln lived in New Salem as a young man, Petersburg residents formed the New Salem Lincoln League and began restoration in the early 20th century. The town is now a State Historic Site.
The Library acquired this collection prior to 2016.
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