William H. Herndon, Lincoln's Law Partner
Greensburg, Green County, Kentucky
Marker Inscription
Lincoln's Law Partner. Birthplace of William H. Herndon, 1818. Family moved to Illinois, 1820. An anti-slavery advocate and partner with Abraham Lincoln in practice of law, 1844-61. Herndon, Mayor of Springfield; State Bank examiner. After Lincoln's death, devoted life to biography of his friend. Wrote "Herndon's Lincoln: The True Story of a Great Life," 1889. Died 1891, Springfield, Illinois.
Erected by Kentucky Historical Society
The Story
Greensburg was the 1818 birthplace of William H. Herndon, though the world would remember him from Illinois, where his family soon moved. An outspoken opponent of slavery, Herndon became Abraham Lincoln's law partner from 1844 until Lincoln left for the White House, and he served as mayor of Springfield. After the assassination he devoted himself to preserving his friend's memory, publishing a candid, influential biography in 1889.
Why it matters
Herndon's firsthand biography shaped how generations of Americans understood Lincoln, preserving the human story behind the martyred president.
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Related people
- · William H. Herndon
- · Abraham Lincoln
Themes & tags
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