Lincoln Loses His Surveying Equipment

  Today, 2/25/2011, marks the 176th anniversary of the sale of Abraham Lincoln's surveying equipment by Sangamon County to pay off his debts.

                In 1834, Lincoln was sent off to layout a town called New Boston where the Iowa and Mississippi River meet. The man who sent him off to do the survey was Elijah Iles' agent, Peter VanBergen. Peter Van Bergen commented on the ability of Abraham Lincoln, but Peter Van Bergen also was an agent who owned debt that Lincoln owed. Van Bergen, among others, brought Lincoln to court to pay off his outstanding debts.

    The note was from when in 1832/1833, Lincoln and Berry opened up a General Store in New Salem when Lincoln signed a promissory note for the store. The note was definitely signed in 1833. The store went under, and so did Berry. With Berry dead, Lincoln was the sole man responsible for the $223.24 note. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum has the note on display in the month of June. The original note was for roughly 200,000 dollars today, or $379.82 in 1833. Thus, when Van Bergen bought the note, Lincoln was held liable. The case went to court, and Lincoln couldn't pay the note.

      As a result, the sheriff repossessed his surveying equipment along with his horse to pay the debt. At the sheriff sale, Lincoln's surveying compass, Gunter's chain, marking pins, range poles, stake ax, and large saddlebag was sold along with his horse.

Jimmy Short

          Unbeknown to Lincoln, his friend, James or Uncle Jimmy Short, purchased his equipment and horse. James Short lived on Sand Ridge, and he bought the equipment for $120. The next day he returned the items, and Lincoln was able to go back to work. The ending of this story is when Uncle Jimmy was in his own financial trouble because of his attempt to strike it rich out west. Supposedly, Lincoln heard of his friend's troubles, and Lincoln appointed him Indian Agent of Round Valley Indian Reservation. This job paid $1,800 a year.

    With work secured and time galore, Lincoln could focus on his reading of Voltaire, Volney, and Paine to round out his supposed atheistic, agnostic, gnostic, or disbeliever streak. Yet, he would spend the rest of his career paying off his debts.