Henry County Heritage Trust-Harlan-Lincoln House Traditional Cache
HCHT: The vast majority of geocachers are respectful and courteous of others. They write notes of thanks and appreciate learning the history of our area, which is the purpose of the HCHT series of caches. But, this particular cache has been stolen and replaced several times. Enough is enough, so it is being archived. Sorry...
Henry County Heritage Trust-Harlan-Lincoln House
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The Lincolns at the House
The Harlan-Lincoln House stands on north side of the Iowa Wesleyan College campus, where James Harlan served as a professor and early president. James Harlan built the house in 1876, attaching it to a structure in the rear which dated to 1854 (this part was demolished in 1931). The Harlan family used the house in retirement from 1876 to 1899.
President Lincoln's widow never visited the house, but Mary Harlan Lincoln and her children spent summers here in the 1870s and 1880s. At the time, Mary and Robert Todd Lincoln lived in Chicago and Washington while Robert practiced law and served in the cabinets of Presidents Garfield and Arthur. Robert made an occasional visit to Mount Pleasant, including one in 1887 when he addressed a crowd at the Old Settlers Reunion.
In 1890, while Robert Todd Lincoln served as minister to England under President Harrison, his son Abraham (Jack) Lincoln died in London. Soon after, the family returned to Mount Pleasant for several months. Mary continued to visit in the 1890s, enlarging the porches and sometimes bringing her daughters and grandchildren. After her father's death in 1899, she rarely visited the house, and gave it to the college in 1907 as a memorial to her father.
Plans for Renovation
The house has served various purposes at the college, and in 1973 was placed in The National Register of Historic Places. Today it contains a collection of Harlan and Lincoln memorabilia, such as a mourning veil of Mary Todd Lincoln, a desk used by Senator Harlan, a collar fragment believed to be worn when President Lincoln was assassinated, and a rock collection owned by Abraham Lincoln II.
This cache is placed by Henry County Heritage Trust, a group that has dedicated itself to the preservation of history in Henry County. This is one of the many cache sites they have placed to educate the general public on the little known details of the history surrounding the area.
A Harlan-Lincoln Committee has been formed to preserve the house and extend its use as a museum and dining-reception area. These ongoing efforts to revitalize the house need your help. To make a tax-deductible contribution, make your check payable to Iowa Wesleyan College and note that it is for the Harlan-Lincoln House Renovation Project. Mail it to Iowa Wesleyan College, Harlan-Lincoln House, 601 N. Main Street, Mount Pleasant, IA 52641.
Visiting Information
You may tour the ground floor of the Harlan-Lincoln House by appointment. The house is not fully renovated, but you can see the current exhibits and restored parlor. Simply call Lynn Ellsworth of the College Archives Department at 319-385-6320
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