Abraham Lincoln letter returns to Harlan-Lincoln House, for good

MT. PLEASANT — A letter from Abraham Lincoln made its way back to the Harlan-Lincoln House this month with their reopening under the management of their very own charitable organization.

Mt. Pleasant Public Library happily presented the letter back to the Harlan-Lincoln House Saturday, Oct. 21 at their reopening ceremony.

“When I was first employed at the Mount Pleasant Public Library, I did not realize that we housed such an important artifact relating to Abraham Lincoln,” Library Director Kayleigh Septer said. “In the back office of the library, in a large black box, was a framed envelope and letter written by Abraham Lincoln to Harriet Snedeker thanking her for a gift that consisted of a box of peaches.”

According to former special collections associate at Iowa Wesleyan’s Chadwick Library Joy Conwell, in a previous news article regarding the letter, Harriet’s daughter Catherine (Snedeker Hill) was married, and lived in Mt. Pleasant. Catherine’s daughter, Hallie (Hill) Ott, then received the letter.

After that, Roberta McCoid received the letter. Roberta’s son, Robbie, died in 1944 at age 5 of pneumonia. Roberta McCoid’s love of libraries led to the creation of a memorial for young Robbie, and the letter was given to the Mt. Pleasant Public Library as part of the memorial.

According to Septer, the library lent the letter to the Harlan-Lincoln House museum, and Chadwick Library for display in 2018 and 2022.

When Iowa Wesleyan closed, however, the letter made its way back to MPPL considering uncertainty surrounding the future of the Harlan-Lincoln House.

So, when the museum reopened under the new charitable organization and with a new board of directors, that future began to look significantly more hopeful.

“I, along with Theresa Rose, Debra Schmidt, and Ed Kropa (officers of the Library board of trustees), had the pleasure of presenting Liz Garrels and the Harlan-Lincoln House board of trustees with the letter — this time permanently,” Septer said. “We were pleased to come to this decision, as we know that the letter is in safe hands and will be seen by generations to come.”

As the Harlan-Lincoln House settles back in, they will offer open hours Wednesdays and Saturdays from 2-4 p.m. through the end of November before taking a break in December and January.

Hours will then resume in the first week of February.

“Please come and visit this exceptional treasure that shares the stories and artifacts of two remarkable historic families!” Chair of Harlan-Lincoln House Incorporated board of directors Elizabeth Garrels encouraged the public in a post on social media.

Now among these treasures, the letter which Mt. Pleasant Public Library happily kept safe until the Harlan-Lincoln House found its footing once again.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com