Subscribe
Jobs
Cars
Real Estate
Apts
Classifieds
Shop
Four hours was all that was left.
Indiana residents took advantage of the handful of hours they had to visit the Lincoln Museum, which will close today after 77 years. The charitable arm of Lincoln Financial Group, the Lincoln Financial Foundation, operates the museum and cited poor attendance and lack of visibility as reasons for its closing.
The museum parking lot was full, and people were forced to find street parking or a garage, but they continued to filter into the museum to view the collection in Fort Wayne one last time.
Employees at the Lincoln Museum on Sunday would not allow the media, including The Journal Gazette, to interview patrons inside the museum or on the property. Media were initially not even allowed inside the museum, which is open to the public, but were eventually given access but told they could not interview anybody. No reason was given.
Sunday's attendees were a mixture of Allen County residents and Hoosiers from throughout the state, and those who had been to the museum before and those who had not.
“I thought it would be a good experience before they closed it,” said Kathy Whitcraft, 40, of Fort Wayne, who wanted to bring her 16-year-old daughter Lizzie Erexson because she had never been to the museum. “I think it's great, very educational. I'm sorry to see it close. I think it's sad, especially for the school system, the field trips. Kids, I think, really enjoy it.”
There are hopes that the museum's artifacts and displays can remain in Indiana. The Allen County Public Library and the Indiana State Museum have formed a coalition to keep the collection in Indiana. Those organizations are supported by the Indiana Historical Society, Indiana State Library and Friends of the Lincoln Museum.
But there is some competition from Washington, where the Library of Congress, the National Museum of American History, Ford's Theatre and President Lincoln's Cottage have formed a partnership to obtain the collection from the museum.
“I'd like to see the museum stay in Indiana. After all, Lincoln spent his whole boyhood here,” said Janice McHenry, 56, who traveled with her husband, Fred, from Indianapolis just to visit the museum.
“He was a very fascinating person to me. He was one of our greatest presidents and took our nation through a very tragic time.”
ksoderlund@jg.net
