I am sorry to hear that the Lincoln Museum in Fort Wayne, Indiana has decided to close its doors this coming June.
The local museum faced the same struggles many non-profit historical museums face as tight finances force schools to reduce field trips.
Plus, the museums face competition from other education venues that offer interactive displays. In 1996, about 12,000 children visited the museum, [Priscilla] Brown [vice president and chief brand officer for Lincoln Financial Group] said. In 2006, the number had dropped to 7,500. Overall yearly attendance at the museum is about 40,000, Brown said. Museums in larger cities often boast six-figure attendance figures.
Given the content of the article it is difficult to believe that the decision was not made for financial reasons. Read the article here.
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This will be another blow to those Hoosier-Lincoln enthusiasts who are still angry that he has been “improperly appropriated” by Illinoisans. In thinking through this state of things, I scanned Lincoln’s Wikipedia entry and discovered that he was born in Kentucky. I think some of those Hoosier-Lincoln enthusiasts believed that he was born in their home state.
Given what’s known about Lincoln’s ties to Indiana, Spencer County seems a more legit home for Lincoln-alia than Fort Wayne. I suppose the article lays out the ties to the latter? I’m too lazy to read the article. – TL