Illinois: Mr. Lincoln’s Whiskers

On my list of president’s I admire is Abraham Lincoln, I think he’s on everyone’s list though, so that’s not all that remarkable.  As an odd factoid there was a photographer who got a rare photo of soon to be President Lincoln shortly before he headed to Washington.  He printed dozens, maybe even a few hundred prints of that picture thinking he had made his fortune.

 

Unfortunately for him, President Lincoln had since grown a beard and no one believed it was him.  So he was not able to sell all of the pictures he had printed.

 

And in writing this, I have now just spent 15 minutes trying to find something to back me up on this story.  I’ve found the picture taken, right after he had won, but nothing with the story….

 

Well, this is the story of the little girl who inspired him to grow that beard, “Mr. Lincoln’s Whiskers.”  Here’s two links giving a little more information: Lincoln’s Beard and an Eleven year old girl’s letter.  If you read those links or do some of your own search, you’ll discover that up until shortly before he grew his beard, most American men of the time were beardless.

 

In the middle of reading that story, we had to stop and write our own letter to Mister Lincoln.

 

What would you suggest Mister Lincoln do to get people to vote for him?

 

I loved Princess’ answer:

Dear President Lincoln,

I think you should smile more, then people would vote for you.

love, Princess.

 

Seriously adorable, not just my cute little girl, the book is too.

 

So what advice would you have given then presidential candidate Lincoln?

 

I’m gonna link up to these fun parties: