The CU Boulder Archives are part of a larger department, which includes CU's Special Collections and Preservation units. We work very closely with our wonderful colleagues in the other units and, as part of our ode to Preservation Week, will be featuring a few stories of projects between the units. Today's piece is a land deed that was signed by Abraham Lincoln, Mary Todd Lincoln, Gershom Jayne, and Sibyl Jayne in 1848. The deed is over 300 words long in Abraham Lincoln’s handwriting, outlining sale of a piece of land. Interestingly for the time, the wives also had to sign this sale of land to relinquish their rights of dower. Otherwise, the wives could have sued for land rights if either of their husband’s died. It caused quite a stir when it came through Norlin's Preservation unit, needing some repairs to tears along the folds of the paper, as well as a new custom enclosure. Tomorrow, the 25th, Preservation will be hosting a Preservation Pop-up in the Reading Room on Norlin’s 3rd floor from noon to 2:00pm. See objects that have received treatment and ask our preservation specialists about their work!
The University of Colorado Boulder Libraries will celebrate the centennial anniversary of the Archives on June 6, 2018. This is story #57 in our series: 100 Stories for 100 Years from the Archives!