Last updated: June 19, 2025
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On Our 250th: Find a Wish Scavenger Hunt
Library of Congress, Harper's Weekly, March 9, 1861
Who Shared Lincoln’s Wish for America?
Abraham Lincoln drew his hope for America’s future from its founding ideals. To him, the Declaration of Independence was not just about the colonies separating from Britain. He believed it promised an America in which “the weight would be lifted from the shoulders of all men.”Many people shared Lincoln’s wish. They expressed it through their hopes and actions.
Explore their stories!
Are you visiting Lincoln Home? Join us for an interactive scavenger hunt! The scavenger hunt will run from June 19 to July 4, 2025.
Look for “You Found a Wish” signs around the park and at nearby sites. They are posted on indoor and outdoor exhibits. When you find one, check out the exhibit it is posted on. The exhibit tells the story of a person who lived near, or at the same time as, Abraham Lincoln.
NPS photo.
As you explore each story, talk about...
- If someone asked you what this person wished for, what would you say?
- What would you do if you met someone today with a similar wish?
Places to look:
- Outdoor wayside exhibits at Lincoln Home National Historic Site.
- Indoor exhibits at Lincoln Home National Historic Site.
- At New Philadelphia National Historic Site, 77 miles west of Springfield heading toward Hannibal, Missouri. Go to New Philadelphia's website for directions and maps.
Stop by the Lincoln Home National Historic Site Visitor Center for more information.
Not at the park? Explore their stories here!
Harriet Dean lived in a house across Eighth Street from the Lincoln family from 1849-1860. Shortly after moving into her house, Harriet's husband left Springfield for the lure of the California gold fields. To support herself and her son, Harriet opened a school for girls in her home. The exact subjects taught at the school are unknown, but sewing and fine handwork might have made up some of the curriculum, since Harriet later won prizes for her fine handwork. Her teaching activities illustrate some of the many ways women were involved in their communities.
Learn more about Harriet Dean and her home.
Learn more about Harriet Dean and her home.
In the 1840s, Jameson Jenkins purchased a lot down the street from the Lincoln family. He worked as a drayman, transporting goods by wagon. Unknown to his neighbors, Jenkins carried more than cargo. He risked his own personal safety to help freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad.
On January 17, 1850, Jenkins was involved in an incident that was reported in the local newspaper as a “slave stampede.” Jenkins is believed to have assisted a group of freedom seekers escape the hands of slave catchers, taking them north to Bloomington, Illinois. In the days following the incident, town newspapers reported various and contradictory stories regarding the freedom seekers and their capture. Some accounts suggested that they were betrayed by Jenkins. A later account revealed that the accusation was a ruse. Jenkins had indeed assisted them, explaining that the contradictory stories were passed on deliberately so that the railroad car in which the freedom seekers and Jenkins had traveled would not be discovered. By his actions, Jenkins risked his home, his livelihood, and his life to deliver freedom to those who had been enslaved.
Discover more about Jameson Jenkins and the Underground Railroad in Lincoln's neighborhood!
On January 17, 1850, Jenkins was involved in an incident that was reported in the local newspaper as a “slave stampede.” Jenkins is believed to have assisted a group of freedom seekers escape the hands of slave catchers, taking them north to Bloomington, Illinois. In the days following the incident, town newspapers reported various and contradictory stories regarding the freedom seekers and their capture. Some accounts suggested that they were betrayed by Jenkins. A later account revealed that the accusation was a ruse. Jenkins had indeed assisted them, explaining that the contradictory stories were passed on deliberately so that the railroad car in which the freedom seekers and Jenkins had traveled would not be discovered. By his actions, Jenkins risked his home, his livelihood, and his life to deliver freedom to those who had been enslaved.
Discover more about Jameson Jenkins and the Underground Railroad in Lincoln's neighborhood!
Sarah Cook was a widow and mother who rented a home near the Lincoln family from 1860-1861. Sarah also operated a photography studio. In March of 1855, she advertised her "daguerreotype" studio in the Illinois State Journal. Daguerreotype was the first publicly available photographic process, widely used during the 1840s and 1850s. Photography was not a popular hobby or career for women in the 1850s, a time when women rarely worked outside the home. Some women, like Sarah, still participated in the activity.
Mariah Vance was a free African American woman who worked for the Lincoln family for 10 years, from 1850-1860. Hired staff often did everything from cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the children. Mariah Vance did laundry and cooked, she made "corn pone and bacon," a favorite of the Lincolns. While working for the family, she forged a long-lasting bond with them. But just as many families can relate, there were tense moments, too.
One day, Mariah witnessed an argument between Mary Lincoln and another hired woman. They threatened to quit if Mary did not raise her pay by 25 cents to $1.50 per week. Mary refused. Abraham, hearing the argument, begged the woman to stay. Pulling her to the side, he asked her to accept Mary’s pay and he would pay her the extra 25 cents. Mary overheard the conversation and said “I’m not going to be deceived. Miss, you can leave, and as for you, Mr. L, I’d be ashamed of myself.” Why the woman demanded more pay, and why Mary refused, Mariah did not say.
Mariah, however, remained close to the Lincolns. So much so, that over 30 years later, Robert Todd Lincoln reconnected with Mariah Vance and began sending monthly stipend checks to thank her for her work. Even though she was not a member of the Lincoln family, Robert always remembered her fondly. Robert’s gesture says much about the important and meaningful work Mariah provided the Lincolns.
Learn more about the experience of Mariah and other hired staff in the Lincoln home.
One day, Mariah witnessed an argument between Mary Lincoln and another hired woman. They threatened to quit if Mary did not raise her pay by 25 cents to $1.50 per week. Mary refused. Abraham, hearing the argument, begged the woman to stay. Pulling her to the side, he asked her to accept Mary’s pay and he would pay her the extra 25 cents. Mary overheard the conversation and said “I’m not going to be deceived. Miss, you can leave, and as for you, Mr. L, I’d be ashamed of myself.” Why the woman demanded more pay, and why Mary refused, Mariah did not say.
Mariah, however, remained close to the Lincolns. So much so, that over 30 years later, Robert Todd Lincoln reconnected with Mariah Vance and began sending monthly stipend checks to thank her for her work. Even though she was not a member of the Lincoln family, Robert always remembered her fondly. Robert’s gesture says much about the important and meaningful work Mariah provided the Lincolns.
Learn more about the experience of Mariah and other hired staff in the Lincoln home.
Julius Rosenwald is probably not a name most of us know, but his impacts changed countless lives. Rosenwald was born in Springfield on August 12, 1862. When he was a child, his family moved into a home on Eighth Street, across from the Lincoln Home. While living in Springfield, Lincoln was friends with Rosenwald's uncle, Julius Hammerslough. In 1874, when Rosenwald was 12, he sold pamphlets and lithographs of the newly dedicated Lincoln tomb at Oak Ridge Cemetery. In 1908, Rosenwald became the president of the Sears, Roebuck and Company organization. He is credited as implementing strategies that resulted in the phenomenal growth of Sears.
Rosenwald’s business success earned him what he said was more money than he could ever spend. He decided to give back. Rosenwald donated millions of dollars to various causes, including to build schools for African American children in the rural south where a severe lack of education opportunities persisted. From 1917 to 1932, more than five thousand “Rosenwald schools” were built in African American communities in fifteen states. By the time the last school was built in 1932, more than 600,000 African American children in the south had attended a Rosenwald school. Over his lifetime, he contributed more than $60 million, approximately $1 billion today, through his personal and foundation giving.
Check out this article about Julius Rosenwald’s work and hopes for America.
Rosenwald’s business success earned him what he said was more money than he could ever spend. He decided to give back. Rosenwald donated millions of dollars to various causes, including to build schools for African American children in the rural south where a severe lack of education opportunities persisted. From 1917 to 1932, more than five thousand “Rosenwald schools” were built in African American communities in fifteen states. By the time the last school was built in 1932, more than 600,000 African American children in the south had attended a Rosenwald school. Over his lifetime, he contributed more than $60 million, approximately $1 billion today, through his personal and foundation giving.
Check out this article about Julius Rosenwald’s work and hopes for America.
In 1830 - the same year Thomas Lincoln brought his 21-year-old son Abraham to Illinois – a formerly enslaved couple known as “Free Frank” and “Free Lucy” also brought their family to Illinois. They brought four of their freed and freeborn children with them: Frank Junior, Squire, Commodore, and Lucy Ann. But three of their children remained enslaved in Kentucky: Juda, Sallie, and Solomon.
The family settled on land they had bought 75 miles west of Springfield, in Pike County. They built a farmstead, raised cash crops like wheat and oats, and raised hogs for sale. They lived on their own land, only 20 miles away from slavery in Missouri.
But how could they protect this property in a state and nation that did not recognize them as citizens? In 1837, Free Frank collected signatures from his neighbors. He then petitioned the Illinois State Legislature to legally recognize his chosen last name: “McWorter.” Frank succeeded. It became known as the “McWorter Law.” The law said Frank could “sue and be sued” and “purchase and convey both real and personal property.” Most important, it declared that Frank and Lucy’s children would also take the name “McWorter.”
It left no question to Frank and Lucy’s ownership of their land. And about their children’s rights to the land through inheritance. It would stay in the family. And that was crucial.
After the McWorter law, Frank filed a “Certificate of Good Character” with the state. It made their intentions clear. “Frank McWorter has laid off a town which he calls Philadelphia, and understanding and believing that the said Frank has laid out the town intending to apply the proceeds of the sales for the purchase of his family yet remaining as slaves.”
The McWorter family hoped to free the rest of their family by selling town lots. It took time and the work of multiple generations. In total, the McWorters freed 16 of their family members at a combined cost of $14,000 ($500,000 in 2023 dollars).
Their town, “New Philadelphia,” was the first town platted and legally registered by African American people in the United States. And it welcomed everyone. The McWorters sold town lots to European American and African American people. It grew into a multicultural community that cared for each other. Residents also actively fought slavery. Today, traces of the town remain on New Philadelphia’s landscape. They remind us of a family’s hope for what might be possible in America.
One more thing…
Abraham Lincoln participated in the McWorter Law vote. He was serving in the Illinois legislature. There is no record of how he voted. But it can be said that he, early in his career, witnessed an African American family asserting authority over their own lives.
Explore more of the McWorter’s story at New Philadelphia National Historic Site.
The family settled on land they had bought 75 miles west of Springfield, in Pike County. They built a farmstead, raised cash crops like wheat and oats, and raised hogs for sale. They lived on their own land, only 20 miles away from slavery in Missouri.
But how could they protect this property in a state and nation that did not recognize them as citizens? In 1837, Free Frank collected signatures from his neighbors. He then petitioned the Illinois State Legislature to legally recognize his chosen last name: “McWorter.” Frank succeeded. It became known as the “McWorter Law.” The law said Frank could “sue and be sued” and “purchase and convey both real and personal property.” Most important, it declared that Frank and Lucy’s children would also take the name “McWorter.”
It left no question to Frank and Lucy’s ownership of their land. And about their children’s rights to the land through inheritance. It would stay in the family. And that was crucial.
After the McWorter law, Frank filed a “Certificate of Good Character” with the state. It made their intentions clear. “Frank McWorter has laid off a town which he calls Philadelphia, and understanding and believing that the said Frank has laid out the town intending to apply the proceeds of the sales for the purchase of his family yet remaining as slaves.”
The McWorter family hoped to free the rest of their family by selling town lots. It took time and the work of multiple generations. In total, the McWorters freed 16 of their family members at a combined cost of $14,000 ($500,000 in 2023 dollars).
Their town, “New Philadelphia,” was the first town platted and legally registered by African American people in the United States. And it welcomed everyone. The McWorters sold town lots to European American and African American people. It grew into a multicultural community that cared for each other. Residents also actively fought slavery. Today, traces of the town remain on New Philadelphia’s landscape. They remind us of a family’s hope for what might be possible in America.
One more thing…
Abraham Lincoln participated in the McWorter Law vote. He was serving in the Illinois legislature. There is no record of how he voted. But it can be said that he, early in his career, witnessed an African American family asserting authority over their own lives.
Explore more of the McWorter’s story at New Philadelphia National Historic Site.