(Lincoln, Abraham, sixteenth President)

A bentwood hickory armchair, painted black, bow back crest leading to curved and bowed arms with D-shaped seat comprised of bundled set of branches supported on 4 twig legs, joined by rear and front stretchers; portion of lower bow back rail lacking proper right section (approx. 13 in.) between the front post and rear junction of arm, lacking proper right side diagonal cross brace, front seat rail probably lost,  upper bow renailed at junction of proper right post, front joint at seat of both posts resecured with bound copper wire (proper left repair among the earliest, probably 19th century), lower back rail and rear cross of arms at back of chair bound with wire, minor losses to bark throughout, overall wear to surface commensurate with age.

The seat of government. Lincoln purportedly settled into this chair during his frequent visits to the office of  Simeon Francis, editor of The Sangamon Journal in Springfield, Illinois. "The journal paper was always my friend and, of course, its editors the same," remarked Lincoln in 1864. It is also alleged that Lincoln received the dispatch with the news of his nomination for the Presidency while occupying this chair. Alternatively, the fact that such a common, rustic chair was repaired on numerous occasions seems to attest to the reverance with which it was regarded.

The Sangamon Journal, first published in 1831, and The State Register, begun in 1839, later merged as the State Journal-Register, a Copley newspaper.