Water Under the Bridge Abraham Lincoln and the Effie Afton Case

The Effie Afton Case (Hurd v. Rock Island Bridge Co.)  is one of Lincoln’s most famous cases. Pitting the established river interests of St. Louis versus the burgeoning railroad interests of Chicago, the case has traditionally emphasized Lincoln’s support of the railroad and new technologies. Recent scholarship shows that might not be the case. Join John Lupton and Dr. Samuel Wheeler from the Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission to discuss what happened when the Effie Afton crashed into the first railroad bridge to span the Mississippi River at Rock Island.

John Lupton is the Executive Director of the Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission. Samuel Wheeler is the Director of History Programs for the Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission.

This program will livestream on Looking for Lincoln's Facebook page and YouTube Channel. The event is FREE.