The first time Abraham Lincoln was in Erie County Pennsylvania was on Saturday morning, February 16, 1861, on the way to his inauguration. He traveled through the county by train, stopping three times to talk to the folks who had gathered there. He knew this twelve-day journey across the northern states would allow the populace to know him better, although he had run for the Illinois Senate seat in 1858 and his sentiments were known. Now in Erie, newspapermen waited, wanting a quote. His comment was about the fine food served to him at the Erie Depot. Four years later, on April 28, 1865, President Lincoln's second appearance in Erie and only stop in the county, was during the return trip to Springfield, Illinois on the way to his burial.
