[HERNDON, William H. (1818-1891), his copy]. The Revised Code of Laws, of Illinois... Vandalia, Illinois: Robert Blackwell, 1827.   

8vo. Contemporary half brown sheep over drab paper-covered boards, some soiling and darkening to covers, ownership signature on cover ("Wm H. Herndon"); spotting and browning throughout; faint dampstain to title-page.

FROM THE LAW LIBRARY OF WILLIAM H. HERNDON IN SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS. Born in Kentucky and raised in Illinois, William H. Herndon studied law and joined Lincoln's firm in 1844, forming a partnership that lasted until Lincoln left for the presidency in 1861. Deeply involved in politics, Herndon was a staunch abolitionist and an advocate for progressive causes. After Lincoln’s assassination, he devoted himself to preserving Lincoln’s legacy, conducting extensive research and interviews that culminated in Herndon's Lincoln (1889), a controversial but invaluable biography.

Following Lincoln’s death in 1865, ownership of his and Lincoln's firm passed solely to William H. Herndon ("Wm. H. Herndon" signature on upper cover and endpapers). Shortly before he died in 1891, Herndon sold the firm and its contents to his law partner, Alfred Orendorff. After Orendorff died in 1909, the estate sold it to Ed. D. Henry (ownership stamp on front free endpaper, title-page, and p. 23). In 1930, it was sold to an unknown buyer, as documented in a partially printed affidavit affixed to the front free endpaper, signed by Robert H. Patton, Attorney at Law of Springfield, Illinois, and countersigned by a public notary. Sabin 34286.

Provenance:

Lincoln-Herndon Law Office, thence to William H. Herndon (1818-1891), law partner of Abraham Lincoln.

Alfred Orendorff (1845-1909), Illinois lawyer and politician.

Edward D. Henry

Louise Taper, Beverly Hills, California

Property from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Foundation