February 2009
by Jerry A. McCoy
This month communities all over the United States as well as the world will be honoring the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. Born in a log cabin on February 12, 1809 near present-day Hodgenville, KY, Lincoln went on to become this nation's 16th president in 1861. Four years later, when an assassin's bullet ended his life in Washington, DC, Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton is reported to have uttered, "Now he belongs to the ages."
And that he certainly has for it has been estimated that over 20,000 books have been written about Lincoln - falling in fourth place behind works published about the Virgin Mary, Shakespeare, and Jesus Christ. While documentation of the latter three visiting Silver Spring is lacking, the same cannot be said about Lincoln.
by Jerry A. McCoy
This month communities all over the United States as well as the world will be honoring the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. Born in a log cabin on February 12, 1809 near present-day Hodgenville, KY, Lincoln went on to become this nation's 16th president in 1861. Four years later, when an assassin's bullet ended his life in Washington, DC, Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton is reported to have uttered, "Now he belongs to the ages."
These four 42-cent U.S. postage stamps commemorating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln will be available at a post office near you on February 10, 2009. Courtesy United States Postal Service.
And that he certainly has for it has been estimated that over 20,000 books have been written about Lincoln - falling in fourth place behind works published about the Virgin Mary, Shakespeare, and Jesus Christ. While documentation of the latter three visiting Silver Spring is lacking, the same cannot be said about Lincoln.
Lincoln first lived in Washington from 1847-1849 as a member of the
U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois. During that period he
most likely would have met if not known Francis Preston Blair, Sr.,
since the Blairs had strong ties of past friendship with Mrs. Lincoln's
family in Kentucky. Blair was founder and editor of the politically
influential newspaper the Washington Globe (as well as the founder of
Silver Spring, Maryland). Also possible but yet to be documented is if
Congressman Lincoln ever visited Blair's country home, Silver Spring,
completed in 1845 and located seven miles north of the White House just
over the District of Columbia line in Montgomery County, Maryland.
But with Lincoln's inauguration as president of the United States in 1861, he certainly would have sought counsel from Blair, a Washington "insider" who had been advising U.S. presidents since Andrew Jackson and who conveniently lived across the street from the White House in the aptly named Blair House (yes, the very same Blair House where President-elect Barack Obama and his family recently resided). Blair's son, Montgomery Blair, served in Lincoln's cabinet as postmaster general and the son's country home, Falkland, stood only a quarter mile away from his father's estate in what would become downtown Silver Spring.
With such close social and political connections between Lincoln and the Blair family, it would have been natural for Lincoln to have made the short journey to Silver Spring to enjoy "the cool shade of Blair's porch and trees," as author Elbert B. Smith stated that Lincoln and five other American presidents did in his book Francis Preston Blair (New York: The Free Press, 1980). The historian in me can't help wanting to know the month, day, and year of any visit that Lincoln ever made to Silver Spring. But unlike today's 24/7 news coverage of the presidency, the documentation of every movement of a U.S. president in the 19th century simply was not done.
The standard reference work Lincoln Day by Day: a Chronology 1809-1865 (Washington: Lincoln Sesquicentennial Commission, 1960) lists no visit by Lincoln to Blair in Silver Spring. Neither does Joan M. Dixon's two volume set National Intelligencer Newspaper Abstracts, Special Edition: The Civil War Years [1861-1865] (Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, Inc., 2001), part of a multi-volume set covering this important 19th century Washington, DC newspaper.
Until I have time to read every microfilmed page of the five other Washington newspapers published during the Civil War that are available at the DC Public Library's Washingtoniana Division and/or to get down to the Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress where the Blair family papers are housed, I figured I would never track down a more-than-surmised account of President Abraham Lincoln having walked amongst us in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Then I came across a book titled Abraham Lincoln in the National Capital by Allen C. Clark (Washington: Press of W. F. Roberts Co., 1925). In it on p. 65 was a very interesting eyewitness account of Lincoln visiting Silver Spring:
"Francis P. Blair of Chicago, in The Life of Abraham Lincoln by Ida M. Tarbell: 'During the war my grandfather, Francis P. Blair, Sr., lived at Silver (sic) Springs, north of Washington, seven miles from the White House. It was a magnificent place of four or five hundred acres with an extensive lawn in the rear of the house. The grandchildren gathered there frequently. There were eight or ten of us, our ages ranging from eight to twelve years. Although I was but seven or eight years of age, Mr. Lincoln's visits were of such importance to us boys as to leave a clear impression on my memory. He drove out to the place quite frequently. We boys, for hours at a time, played town ball on the vast lawn, and Mr. Lincoln would join ardently in the sport. I remember vividly how he ran with the children; how long were his strides, and how far his coat tails stuck out behind, and how we tried to hit him with the ball, as he ran the bases. He entered into the spirit of the play as completely as any of us, and we invariably hailed his coming with delight.' "
The author, Francis Preston Blair III, was the son of Francis Preston Blair, Jr. and his wife Apolline. "Preston," as he was called as a youth, was born October 18, 1856 and when he was "seven or eight years of age" the years would have been 1863 or 1864, meshing with the years that Lincoln would have visited his grandfather in Silver Spring. Blair's account was referenced as originating in Tarbell's The Life of Abraham Lincoln (New York: Doubleday Page & Co., 1909), but this book was not the first to publish this account.
Fifteen years earlier in 1894 at the suggestion of Samuel S. McClure and John S. Philips, founders of the nationally illustrated monthly periodical McClure's Magazine, subscribers who knew Lincoln were asked to submit reminiscences abut him. The task of verifying the submissions fell to its editor Ida M. Tarbell, who two years later published the accounts in The Early Life of Abraham Lincoln (New York: S. S. McClure, 1896). Lincoln reminiscences continued to flow into the magazine with Tarbell writing subsequent articles and authoring later editions of her popular book.
The account of Lincoln playing "town ball" in Silver Spring submitted by Blair (also known as Frank P. Blair) first appeared in the March 1899 issue of McClure's Magazine (Vol. XII, No. 5) within Tarbell's article "Lincoln's Method of Dealing With Men." At the time of the article's publication Blair was a 43-year old lawyer living in Chicago. I would like to think that Blair had no reason to fabricate such an account about Lincoln considering that he was part of a politically prominent and powerful 19th century Washington, DC and Maryland family whose various rolls in American history are otherwise well documented.
Neighboring Washington, DC and the nation will be celebrating Lincoln's bicentennial with a veritable smorgasbord of commemorative events in the coming months (visit www.abrahamlincoln200.org). I like the idea of honoring Lincoln by standing in Acorn Park, at the intersection of Kennett and Newell streets in south Silver Spring near where Francis Preston Blair, Sr.'s Silver Spring mansion stood. There, I'll imagine the spirited yells of a group of boys playing an early version of America's pastime and envision the man who they are trying to get "out" - a man who even while burdened with the preservation of our nation was able to take brief pleasure from a game played here in Silver Spring nearly 150 years ago.
The Silver Spring Historical Society would like to commission slightly larger than life-size sculptures of President Lincoln and Francis Preston Blair III playing "town ball" for dedication in Acorn Park on April 15, 2015, the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's death. The cost of this project is estimated to be $200,000. If anyone would like to donate to this project or has information on possible sources of funding, please contact me at (301) 537-1253, write PO Box 1160 , Silver Spring , MD 20910-1160 , or email sshistory@yahoo.com. The Silver Spring Historical Society's web site is www.sshistory.org. Only with your help can the history of Silver Spring be preserved.
Copyright 2009 Silver Spring Historical Society
All rights reserved.
But with Lincoln's inauguration as president of the United States in 1861, he certainly would have sought counsel from Blair, a Washington "insider" who had been advising U.S. presidents since Andrew Jackson and who conveniently lived across the street from the White House in the aptly named Blair House (yes, the very same Blair House where President-elect Barack Obama and his family recently resided). Blair's son, Montgomery Blair, served in Lincoln's cabinet as postmaster general and the son's country home, Falkland, stood only a quarter mile away from his father's estate in what would become downtown Silver Spring.
With such close social and political connections between Lincoln and the Blair family, it would have been natural for Lincoln to have made the short journey to Silver Spring to enjoy "the cool shade of Blair's porch and trees," as author Elbert B. Smith stated that Lincoln and five other American presidents did in his book Francis Preston Blair (New York: The Free Press, 1980). The historian in me can't help wanting to know the month, day, and year of any visit that Lincoln ever made to Silver Spring. But unlike today's 24/7 news coverage of the presidency, the documentation of every movement of a U.S. president in the 19th century simply was not done.
This circa 1864 view of the north elevation of Francis Preston Blair, Sr.'s mansion Silver Spring faced a large opened expanse of yard where President Lincoln and Francis Preston Blair III and his friends played "town ball." This area today is the non-descript "pocket park" attached to the 8045 Kennett Street Condos. Courtesy Library of Congress.
The standard reference work Lincoln Day by Day: a Chronology 1809-1865 (Washington: Lincoln Sesquicentennial Commission, 1960) lists no visit by Lincoln to Blair in Silver Spring. Neither does Joan M. Dixon's two volume set National Intelligencer Newspaper Abstracts, Special Edition: The Civil War Years [1861-1865] (Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, Inc., 2001), part of a multi-volume set covering this important 19th century Washington, DC newspaper.
Until I have time to read every microfilmed page of the five other Washington newspapers published during the Civil War that are available at the DC Public Library's Washingtoniana Division and/or to get down to the Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress where the Blair family papers are housed, I figured I would never track down a more-than-surmised account of President Abraham Lincoln having walked amongst us in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Then I came across a book titled Abraham Lincoln in the National Capital by Allen C. Clark (Washington: Press of W. F. Roberts Co., 1925). In it on p. 65 was a very interesting eyewitness account of Lincoln visiting Silver Spring:
"Francis P. Blair of Chicago, in The Life of Abraham Lincoln by Ida M. Tarbell: 'During the war my grandfather, Francis P. Blair, Sr., lived at Silver (sic) Springs, north of Washington, seven miles from the White House. It was a magnificent place of four or five hundred acres with an extensive lawn in the rear of the house. The grandchildren gathered there frequently. There were eight or ten of us, our ages ranging from eight to twelve years. Although I was but seven or eight years of age, Mr. Lincoln's visits were of such importance to us boys as to leave a clear impression on my memory. He drove out to the place quite frequently. We boys, for hours at a time, played town ball on the vast lawn, and Mr. Lincoln would join ardently in the sport. I remember vividly how he ran with the children; how long were his strides, and how far his coat tails stuck out behind, and how we tried to hit him with the ball, as he ran the bases. He entered into the spirit of the play as completely as any of us, and we invariably hailed his coming with delight.' "
This sketch of President Abraham Lincoln participating in a game of "town ball" with Francis Preston Blair III appeared in "'Abe' Lincoln's Yarns and Stories" by Col. Alexander K. McClure ([Chicago]: 1901). Photo courtesy SSHS.
The author, Francis Preston Blair III, was the son of Francis Preston Blair, Jr. and his wife Apolline. "Preston," as he was called as a youth, was born October 18, 1856 and when he was "seven or eight years of age" the years would have been 1863 or 1864, meshing with the years that Lincoln would have visited his grandfather in Silver Spring. Blair's account was referenced as originating in Tarbell's The Life of Abraham Lincoln (New York: Doubleday Page & Co., 1909), but this book was not the first to publish this account.
This carte de visite features a photograph of President Abraham Lincoln taken by Anthony Berger on February 9, 1864 at the Brady Gallery on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC. This famous image is the one used on the five-dollar bill. Courtesy collection of Nan E. McCoy.
Fifteen years earlier in 1894 at the suggestion of Samuel S. McClure and John S. Philips, founders of the nationally illustrated monthly periodical McClure's Magazine, subscribers who knew Lincoln were asked to submit reminiscences abut him. The task of verifying the submissions fell to its editor Ida M. Tarbell, who two years later published the accounts in The Early Life of Abraham Lincoln (New York: S. S. McClure, 1896). Lincoln reminiscences continued to flow into the magazine with Tarbell writing subsequent articles and authoring later editions of her popular book.
The account of Lincoln playing "town ball" in Silver Spring submitted by Blair (also known as Frank P. Blair) first appeared in the March 1899 issue of McClure's Magazine (Vol. XII, No. 5) within Tarbell's article "Lincoln's Method of Dealing With Men." At the time of the article's publication Blair was a 43-year old lawyer living in Chicago. I would like to think that Blair had no reason to fabricate such an account about Lincoln considering that he was part of a politically prominent and powerful 19th century Washington, DC and Maryland family whose various rolls in American history are otherwise well documented.
Neighboring Washington, DC and the nation will be celebrating Lincoln's bicentennial with a veritable smorgasbord of commemorative events in the coming months (visit www.abrahamlincoln200.org). I like the idea of honoring Lincoln by standing in Acorn Park, at the intersection of Kennett and Newell streets in south Silver Spring near where Francis Preston Blair, Sr.'s Silver Spring mansion stood. There, I'll imagine the spirited yells of a group of boys playing an early version of America's pastime and envision the man who they are trying to get "out" - a man who even while burdened with the preservation of our nation was able to take brief pleasure from a game played here in Silver Spring nearly 150 years ago.
This circa 1954 plat depicts the footprint of Francis Preston Blair, Sr.'s mansion "Silver Spring" in relation to the corner of today's Kennett Street (top right) and Newell Street. The 1949 Blair Station Post Office on the corner, eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, was demolished in 2003 by the Patriot Group for construction of the 8045 Kennett Street Condos. Photo courtesy SSHS.
The Silver Spring Historical Society would like to commission slightly larger than life-size sculptures of President Lincoln and Francis Preston Blair III playing "town ball" for dedication in Acorn Park on April 15, 2015, the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's death. The cost of this project is estimated to be $200,000. If anyone would like to donate to this project or has information on possible sources of funding, please contact me at (301) 537-1253, write PO Box 1160 , Silver Spring , MD 20910-1160 , or email sshistory@yahoo.com. The Silver Spring Historical Society's web site is www.sshistory.org. Only with your help can the history of Silver Spring be preserved.
Copyright 2009 Silver Spring Historical Society
All rights reserved.
Wonderful blog! I walk through this location every day heading to grocery shop. Looking forward to reading your other historical entries about Silver Spring!
Bill Fogle
www.williepee.com