Wicked Springfield: Crime, Corruption & Scandal during the Lincoln Era

by Erika Holst

In the twenty-four years that Abraham Lincoln lived in Springfield, the city saw its share of crime, corruption and scandal, much of it at the hands of Lincoln's law clients and acquaintances. Erika Holst sheds light on these shady characters, from the man being sued for divorce who claimed that he caught his venereal disease from an outhouse to Governor William Bissell, whose near duel with Jefferson Davis almost made him ineligible to hold office. Learn what prompted a congressional candidate- in an election clerked by Lincoln- to shout down his accuser as some 'spindle-shanked, toad-eating, man-granny, who feeds the depraved appetites of his patrons with gossip and slander.' Read the true stories that fed those depraved appetites, drawn from the newspapers Lincoln read and the docket where he practiced law. In these pages, discover the wicked side of Lincoln's Springfield.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

128 pages, Paperback

First published March 28, 2010

About the author

Ericka Holst is the curator of decorative arts and history at the Illinois State Museum in Springfield, Illinois.

Reviews

[Violet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating, short stories about the history of Springfield, Illinois. History lovers will enjoy this book.

[Zachary Homeier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great short read if love you Springfield Illinois history.