Larry Hurto
Newton
April 14 marked the 150th anniversary of President Lincoln’s assassination. I have often wondered how the course of our nation’s history might have been altered had our 16th president been spared to complete his second term in office.
A. K. Campbell (1834-1926), whose brother Frank’s house is now being demolished along with the Newton Seed Store, told how local people reacted to this tragic occurrence in a speech delivered at the dedication of the present Jasper County Courthouse April 6, 1911.
“When Lincoln was assassinated, the grief of the people, like that of the whole land, was beyond conception ... Our townsman, Mr. J. R. Mershon, proposed that on the day of Lincoln’s burial at Springfield the people of Jasper County should meet in Newton and reproduce in some form the burial ceremonies at Springfield. So the people met, and a great procession was led by a hearse, by funeral dirges by the martial band, and the people followed as mourners by the thousand, rounding up on the north side of the court house, where appropriate ceremonies were had, speeches made, and resolutions adopted.”
I’ve assembled a collection of books from my personal library on this subject for display at the Newton Public Library. They can be seen there for the balance of this month.