Lincoln and Grace

I am reading a fantastic new book by Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch called The Lincoln Conspiracy. It is an impeccably researched true account of the first plot to kill Abraham Lincoln prior to his inauguration in 1861. 

Many of you have already stopped reading, but those who haven't, this might be interesting to you. 

Much of this book centers around Lincoln's journey by railroad from Springfield, IL to Washington D.C. where he is to be sworn in as the country's 16th president. 

Whenever I read history, I pay special attention to what many consider the trivial details. Personally, I think real history is in the forgotten notes. That's the good stuff. 

This is a particular trivial footnote in Lincoln's history that fascinated me.

In February 1861, Lincoln's train made a stop in the town of Westfield, New York, along the shores of Lake Erie. Prior to this stop, Lincoln recognized the town's name on the itinerary and requested to meet a special resident of Westfield. 

She was an 11 year-old girl named Grace Bedell.

Who was Grace Bedell?

About four months prior, Grace wrote a letter to the Republican nominee, Abraham Lincoln, suggesting he might grow a beard to improve his looks, and thereby perhaps improving his chances of winning the Presidential election. 

Lincoln's handwritten response to Grace Bedell. My, how politics and politicians have changed.

Mr. Lincoln took the 11 year-old's advice and started growing the most famous beard in history. 

When Lincoln's train made its whistle-stop in Westfield, New York, the man himself wanted to thank young Grace in person. And he did just that. 

A screenshot from Google Maps: the railroad tracks leading into Westfield, New York. 

The exchange was brief, less than a couple of minutes, but Lincoln shook young Grace's hand and kissed her on the forehead, thanking her for her advice. She clutched a bouquet of flowers intended for the new President, but in her nervousness, she completely forgot to give them to Lincoln.

This trivial story has since become a mere footnote in history, but when I started doing my own research, I was delighted to find the town of Westfield memorialized that fleeting moment in history with a statue and plaque near its downtown area: the day Lincoln met the little girl who changed his image forever.

From Google Maps: The Lincoln/Bedell statue on the corner of Portage and Main in Westfield, NY.
Note that Grace holds the bouquet of flowers she forgot to give Mr. Lincoln.

Note: When you conduct your own research, due diligence is mandatory. When I found the old train station at Westfield, I thought I found the exact location where Lincoln met Grace, but further research revealed this particular structure was built in 1904, some 43 years after Lincoln stopped in Westfield. It is now an events center and art gallery. Always check and double check!!