When an emotional Abraham Lincoln took leave of his Springfield neighbors, never to return, his moving tribute to the town and its people reflected their profound influence on the newly elected president. His old neighborhood still stands today as a National Historic Site. The story of the life Lincoln and his family built there returns to us through the careful work of authors Bonnie E. Paull and Richard E. Hart. Journey back in time and meet this diverse but harmonious community as it participated in the business of everyday living while gradually playing a larger role on the national stage.

"The papers of Abraham Lincoln is a project of Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, co-sponsored by the University of Illinois at Springfield. funding for Series I: Legalpapers provided by Abraham Lincoln Association, National Historical Publications and Records Commission, National Endowment for the Humanities, Shelby Cullom Davis Foundation. funding for SeriesII: Illinois Papers and Series III: Presidential papers provided by National Endowment for the Humanities"--Page 2 of cover.