Treasure Thursday Great-Grandma McGinnis Sang For Abraham Lincoln in 1860
Abraham Lincoln's 1860 Campaign Rally
Great-Grandma McGinnis Sang for Abraham Lincoln…
This photograph has been in the family for some time and my Great-Grandma Margaret “Maggie” (Corson) McGinnis, (my grandma Maud Stocking’s mother) told her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren that she was a child in this photograph in the wagon on the lower right hand side of the photograph with the sign that reads “Let Me In – Kansas.”
Great-Grandma McGinnis said that she and other children sang for then candidate Abraham Lincoln on this day.
According to my Uncle Herb, and my brother Harold (a.k.a Fred), (both of whom were old enough to remember the story well) Great-Grandma Maggie said that Mr. Lincoln stopped, bent down, and spoke to her about “letting Kansas in” to the Union as a state.
There she was, just a little girl, at a Turning Point in History…
Wow! There she was, just a little girl, being spoken to by a man who was then a candidate for president. Can you just imagine? Did they have any idea that they were at a point in history that would lead to such historically memorable events as the Civil War, the ending of slavery, the assassination of a President, and other major turning points in our country’s history?
In light of what was to come just a few years later, it is no wonder that Great-Grandma shared this story with her children and grandchildren.
I’ve seen this photograph on-line in several places, so I know it must have been a popular photograph in that time and era and I’m glad that Great-grandma Maggie had a copy of this photograph and shared this story with her family.
Other Related Posts:
Corson Family Info:
Wordless Wednesday – Margaret Corson McGinnis’ 100th Birthday
You can learn more about the Corson Family, Book and Association Website Here.
My Corson Family Website and Happy Dance Post is Here.
Three Hundred Years With the Corson Family in America.
McGinnis Family Info:
My Maggie Corson/McGinnis Happy Dance!
Carnival of Genealogy – My Poem to My Ancestors
Maggie’s Husband:
Amanuensis Monday – Thomas J. McGinnis Obituary
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That was a very intense time in Kansas and Nebraska. The railroad had to an anti-slavery state in order to be allowed to continue on west. That time period is a fascinating part of our history, and you great-grandmother was right there. Thanks so much for passing this bit of history along.
opps, left a “have” out.
what a fantastic photo and treasure to have in your family!
Thank you, Dionne! It is a fantastic treasure to have in the family! The story behind it makes it so very special to us, too, and to know that my great-grandmother was right there, speaking to Abraham Lincoln, an American hero is just really – well, something.
WOW, that is one cool piece of history. And a photo too! Thanks for sharing it!
Thanks for stopping by, Carol! That is one cool piece of history! Just think how many times our ancestors were touched by history, in the middle of it, or near famous folks, and we might not know it! Thank goodness great-Grandma shared this with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The closest I’ve come to a famous political figure was going to see Bobby Kennedy speak at Kansas State a few months before he was assassinated.
[…] Mrs. McGinnis had made her home in Cedar Vale with her daughter for the past nine and one-half years. She was loved and admired by all who knew her. Despite her age, Mrs. McGinnis possessed a keen and alert mind and enjoyed conversing on current topics. She frequently spoke of her childhood and enjoyed telling of her experiences when she with other girls of her community sang for Abraham Lincoln. […]
[…] Margaret “Maggie” (Corson) McGinnis Sang for Abraham Lincoln […]