Mary Eunice Harlan
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Mary Harlan Lincoln ( Mary Eunice Harlan; September 25, 1846 – March 31, 1937) was the daughter of
United States Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...
James Harlan and the wife of
Robert Todd Lincoln Robert Todd Lincoln (August 1, 1843 – July 26, 1926) was an American lawyer, businessman, and politician. He was the eldest son of President Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln. Robert Lincoln became a business lawyer and company presi ...
.


Life and family

The eldest child of James Harlan and Ann Eliza Peck, Mary Eunice Harlan was born in
Iowa City, Iowa Iowa City, offically the City of Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is the home of the University of Iowa and county seat of Johnson County, at the center of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the tim ...
on September 25, 1846. The only one of James Harlan's children to live to adulthood, she was raised in
Mount Pleasant, Iowa Mount Pleasant is a city in and the county seat of Henry County, Iowa. The population was 9,274 in the 2020 census, an increase from 8,668 in the 2010 census. It was founded in 1835 by pioneer Presley Saunders. History The first permanent s ...
and
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
She was educated in Mount Pleasant and at Madame Smith's Finishing School in Washington. In addition to learning French,
dancing Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its reperto ...
and
deportment Behavior (American English) or behaviour (British English) is the range of actions and mannerisms made by individuals, organisms, systems or artificial entities in some environment. These systems can include other systems or organisms as wel ...
, Mary Harlan received training in
music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...
and became an accomplished harpist. Robert Lincoln noticed the teenaged Mary in 1864 and began to court her. She had also come to the attention of Robert's mother Mary Lincoln, who approved and attempted to play matchmaker.
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
became aware of his wife's activities and aided her by asking Senator Harlan to escort Mrs. Lincoln to Lincoln's 1865 presidential inaugural, enabling Robert to escort Mary Harlan. In order to keep their courtship secret, Robert Lincoln often used the assistance of his friend Edgar Welles to meet Mary Harlan at the home of Edgar's father
Secretary of the Navy The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense. By law, the se ...
Gideon Welles Gideon Welles (July 1, 1802 – February 11, 1878), nicknamed "Father Neptune", was the United States Secretary of the Navy from 1861 to 1869, a cabinet post he was awarded after supporting Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 election. Although opposed ...
. Their marriage was delayed by the assassination of Robert's father and the subsequent mourning period.


Marriage and children

Robert Todd Lincoln and Mary Eunice Harlan were married on September 24, 1868. They had two daughters and one son: * Mary "Mamie" Lincoln (October 15, 1869 – November 21, 1938) *Abraham Lincoln II (nicknamed "Jack"; August 14, 1873 – March 5, 1890) * Jessie Harlan Lincoln (November 6, 1875 – January 4, 1948). In an era before air conditioning, Robert, Mary and the children would often leave the hot city life behind in summer for the cooler climate of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. During the 1880s the family would "summer" at the Harlan home. The Harlan-Lincoln home, built in 1876, still stands today. Donated by Mary Harlan Lincoln to
Iowa Wesleyan College Iowa Wesleyan University is a private university in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. It is Iowa's first co-educational institution of higher learning and the oldest of its type west of the Mississippi River. The institution is affiliated with the United Met ...
in 1907, it now serves as a museum with many artifacts from the Lincoln family and from Abraham Lincoln's presidency. For a time Mary Todd Lincoln lived with Robert and Mary Lincoln, but the two women apparently did not get along, and Mary Todd Lincoln moved out, eventually being committed by Robert to Bellevue Place, a private sanitarium in
Batavia, Illinois Batavia () is a city mainly in Kane County and partly in DuPage County in the U.S. state of Illinois. Located in the Chicago metropolitan area, it was founded in 1833 and is the oldest city in Kane County. Per the 2020 census, the population w ...
in May, 1875. Some sources indicate that Mary Harlan Lincoln may have been an
alcoholic Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomina ...
, which negatively affected her relationship with her mother in law, husband and children. The available information is circumstantial, and this question has not been resolved with certainty. Robert Lincoln pursued a successful career in law, business and politics, serving as
Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...
from 1881 to 1885 under Presidents
James A. Garfield James Abram Garfield (November 19, 1831 – September 19, 1881) was the 20th president of the United States, serving from March 4, 1881 until his death six months latertwo months after he was shot by an assassin. A lawyer and Civil War gene ...
and
Chester A. Arthur Chester Alan Arthur (October 5, 1829 – November 18, 1886) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 21st president of the United States from 1881 to 1885. He previously served as the 20th vice president under President James ...
. The Lincolns lived in
London, England London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...
for a period of time as Robert served as
United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom The United States ambassador to the United Kingdom (known formally as the ambassador of the United States to the Court of St James's) is the official representative of the president of the United States and the American government to the monarc ...
from 1889 to 1893 under President
Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 23rd president of the United States from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia–a grandson of the ninth pr ...
. Afterwards, he returned to practicing law. Made quite wealthy by his law practice, which included General Counsel to, and later President of, the
Pullman Palace Car Company The Pullman Company, founded by George Pullman, was a manufacturer of railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the first half of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Through rapid late-19th century ...
the Lincolns lived at homes in
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
, Washington, and
Hildene Hildene, the Lincoln Family Home is the former summer home of Robert Todd Lincoln and his wife Mary Harlan Lincoln, located at 1005 Hildene Road in Manchester Center, Vermont. History Robert Todd Lincoln was the eldest of the four sons of Pres ...
in
Manchester, Vermont Manchester is a town in, and one of two shire towns (county seats) of, Bennington County, Vermont. The population was 4,484 at the 2020 census. Manchester Village, an incorporated village, and Manchester Center are settlement centers within t ...
. In 1899 her father died and left her an Italianate house on the
Iowa Wesleyan College Iowa Wesleyan University is a private university in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. It is Iowa's first co-educational institution of higher learning and the oldest of its type west of the Mississippi River. The institution is affiliated with the United Met ...
campus; she donated it to the college in 1907 and it is now on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
as the "Harlan–Lincoln House," and contains memorabilia of the two families. By all accounts, Mary Harlan Lincoln was intensely private, and worked diligently to keep herself out of the public eye and prevent herself from being photographed. In addition to managing the family households, she was responsible for her husband's estate after his death in July 1926. She also oversaw charitable bequests and family trusts before her death.Mark E. Neely, Harold Holzer
The Lincoln Family Album
1990, page 20
Mary Harlan Lincoln died in Washington on March 31, 1937. She was buried with her husband and son Jack at
Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...
, Section 31.Arlington National Cemetery
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harlan, Mary Eunice 1846 births 1937 deaths Lincoln family People from Iowa City, Iowa People from Mount Pleasant, Iowa People from Chicago People from Washington, D.C. People from Manchester, Vermont Burials at Arlington National Cemetery