Lincoln Promoter

Lincoln Promoter (HM13W3)

Location: Quincy, IL 62301 Adams County
Buy Illinois State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 39° 55.982', W 91° 24.511'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 673 views
Inscription
"You are one of my most valued friends" (Lincoln letter to Abraham Jonas, 1860). Their friendship began in 1843 in Springfield when Lincoln and Jonas served together in the Illinois House of Representatives. Jonas became an early and ardent supporter of Lincoln in the newly formed Republican Party. He promoted Lincoln's first Quincy visit in 1854 to speak against Stephen A. Douglas' Nebraska bill and to campaign for Archibald Williams. continuing to promote Lincoln, Jonas in 1858 headed the Republican Arrangements Committee for the Lincoln-Douglas Debate in Quincy and introduced Lincoln for his opening debate address. At the 1860 Republican Convention Jonas worked the floor to help secure Lincoln's nomination. When Jonas learned that William H. Seward's supporters planned to pack Chicago's Wigwam hall, he helped fill the Wigwam with Lincoln backers while Seward's demonstrators were parading in the streets. With an outcry of enthusiasm for Lincoln, delegates abandoned Seward and elected Lincoln on the third ballot. After winning the presidency in November, an appreciative Lincoln soon appointed Jonas Quincy postmaster.

Abraham Jonas, Quincy's first Jewish settler, arrived in Adams County in 1838. He had been elected Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Kentucky and four times to the Kentucky Legislature. Jonas became Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Illinois in 1840 and a representative in the 1842 Illinois General Assembly. Said to aspire to higher office, Jonas organized a Masonic Lodge in Mormon Nauvoo but didn't seek political office.

An early recommendation of Lincoln for President occurred in December 1858. Law partners Jonas and Asbury met in their office on the southeast corner of Fifth and Hampshire with Quincy Republican leaders and Horace Greeley, anti-slavery New York Tribune editor and prominent Republican. Asbury recommended Lincoln as a presidential candidate, later writing with embarrassment "...my suggestion fell flat." After moments of silence, Jonas helped: "Gentlemen, there may be more in Asbury's suggestion than any of us now thing." Lincoln said he would rather be senator than president. But Jonas, an organizer, noted "...that with proper exertions and judicious selections in June, we shall be able to carry the day and in November proclaim victory to all the world." and in April 1860, with support for him growing, Lincoln wrote, "The taste is in my mouth a little."

Details
HM NumberHM13W3
Series This marker is part of the Illinois: Looking for Lincoln series
Tags
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Sunday, September 7th, 2014 at 3:20pm PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)15S E 635984 N 4421537
Decimal Degrees39.93303333, -91.40851667
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 39° 55.982', W 91° 24.511'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds39° 55' 58.92" N, 91° 24' 30.66" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)217
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 101-199 N 5th St, Quincy IL 62301, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. What historical period does the marker represent?
  2. What historical place does the marker represent?
  3. What type of marker is it?
  4. What class is the marker?
  5. What style is the marker?
  6. Does the marker have a number?
  7. What year was the marker erected?
  8. Who or what organization placed the marker?
  9. This marker needs at least one picture.
  10. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  11. Is the marker in the median?