Lincoln's Gift from Homer, New York - by Martin A Sweeney (Paperback)

About the Book

Although Illinois enjoys the indisputable title of "The Land of Lincoln," one small town in New York State played a significant role in the sixteenth president's history. Three native sons of Homer--a detective, a journalist, and a painter--helped inscribe Abraham Lincoln's place in the nation's iconic imagery. Private investigator Eli DeVoe foiled an assassination plot against Lincoln before his first inauguration; journalist William Osborn Stoddard, an early Lincoln supporter, became an influential secretary of the president; and artist Francis Bicknell Carpenter painted The First Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation before the Cabinet, which still hangs in the U.S. Capitol. This exploration of these men and the town that produced them offers insight into the complexities of presidential image-making, and reveals why a small New York town has become a choice destination for Lincoln historians.

Book Synopsis

Although Illinois enjoys the indisputable title of "The Land of Lincoln," one small town in New York State played a significant role in the sixteenth president's history. Three native sons of Homer--a detective, a journalist, and a painter--helped inscribe Abraham Lincoln's place in the nation's iconic imagery. Private investigator Eli DeVoe foiled an assassination plot against Lincoln before his first inauguration; journalist William Osborn Stoddard, an early Lincoln supporter, became an influential secretary of the president; and artist Francis Bicknell Carpenter painted The First Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation before the Cabinet, which still hangs in the U.S. Capitol. This exploration of these men and the town that produced them offers insight into the complexities of presidential image-making, and reveals why a small New York town has become a choice destination for Lincoln historians.

Review Quotes

"the organic nature of this homegrown gem is what gives the book its charm...it's the tale of two friends from Homer whose stories are well known to Lincoln buffs"-Civil War News; "This is the story of two friends from Homer, NY, whose ambition and talents won them assignments in the Lincoln White House and special roles in presenting the image of the Great Emancipator to the public eye. This meticulously researched study sheds light on the leaders of the Homer community and the way many of its citizens were involved in intersecting events that became Civil War history."-Eleanor Stoddard, granddaughter of William O. Stoddard.

About the Author

Martin A. Sweeney, the town historian of Homer, New York, writes frequently for local newspapers and is a member of the Lincoln Forum of Gettysburg.