At a rural county museum in Oregon, you might expect antique farming equipment, local yearbooks, or taxidermy. What you probably wouldn’t expect is a surprisingly serious collection devoted to Abraham Lincoln — proving you don’t have to visit Washington, D.C., to find a little presidential history.
To celebrate America’s 250th, the Tillamook County Pioneer Museum (TCPM) is displaying an original curation: “Lincoln’s Legacy.” The exhibit highlights Abraham Lincoln’s life and political career with a gallery of text panels, facsimiles, photographs, folk art, and other memorabilia.
“We chose to feature Abraham Lincoln because his legacy transcends time to impact American politics 150+ years after his assassination,” TCPM Exhibit & Program Developer Jenny Teece said. “As we reflect on the founding and evolution of our nation, his story is just one thread in the tapestry of American history.”
Abraham Lincoln was born in a one-room log cabin in Kentucky on February 12, 1809. He grew up working on his family’s farm, but took the initiative to educate himself by reading anything he could find.
Lincoln went on to become a lawyer at the age of 27, a career that built him a strong reputation. In 1860, Lincoln became the Republican presidential nominee and won the office decisively.
Seven states promptly voted to secede from the United States in response to his election, forming the Confederate States of America. Lincoln refused to acknowledge the secession, and tensions built until an attack on Fort Sumter, South Carolina exploded the nation into civil war.
The war was the focus of Lincoln’s presidency. It shaped his economic, foreign, and domestic policies, revolutionized the role of the President as Commander-in-Chief, and redefined the powers allotted to the executive branch of the government. Through it all, he emphasized his primary goal was to preserve the Union.
Five days after the Confederacy’s surrender, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865 while attending a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC.
So, what does Abraham Lincoln have to do with Oregon…or Tillamook County?
In his death, Abraham Lincoln was anchored as a national martyr while his legacy has been analyzed, scrutinized, and preserved by many around the world, including Oregon’s own Mark O. Hatfield.
Mark O. Hatfield was born in Oregon on July 12, 1922, and remained a resident for his youth and much of his adult life. After earning degrees from Willamette University and Stanford University, he joined the U.S. Navy as a landing craft officer in the Pacific Theater during World War II.
Hatfield’s political career began after being elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in 1950 and the Oregon Senate in 1954. He served as Oregon’s Secretary of State in 1956 and Oregon’s Governor from 1959 through 1967. Hatfield was elected as a United States Senator in 1966 where he served for 30 years until his retirement in January of 1997. He resumed teaching political science and history courses at Portland State University, George Fox University, and Willamette University until his death on August 7, 2011 at 89 years old.
A lifelong student of Abraham Lincoln’s political career and legacy, Senator Hatfield was an avid collector of Lincoln memorabilia. Much of which was gifted to him by constituents, congressional peers, and even presidents. A portion of his collection was gifted to the Tillamook County Pioneer Museum in 1997, with an additional donation in the early 2000s.
“This exhibit offers visitors an opportunity to reflect on our shared history and an individual’s vision and courage that helped shape the United States,” TCPM Executive Director Peyton Tracy said. “Lincoln’s leadership, character, and commitment to preserving our nation during one of its most challenging periods remains deeply relevant today.”
“Lincoln’s Legacy” is now on display at TCPM through November 2026. As a compliment to the exhibit, a variety of Abraham Lincoln and America’s 250th themed items are for sale in the Museum’s gift shop.
To further commemorate America’s 250th, TCPM is also hosting a “Wish Wall” location.
Coordinated by “Made By Us,” a nationwide network of 500+ museums, people across the nation are invited to share their birthday wishes for the U.S. TCPM has supplied postcards for visitors to compose their hopes on, which can then be hung on the Wish Wall at the Museum.
“I am proud to be a part of an organization that is bringing this special exhibit celebrating Abraham Lincoln and our country as part of America’s 250th anniversary,” TCPM Board President Ryan Weber said. “We are proud to be part of this nationwide celebration and to provide meaningful opportunities for our community to connect with America’s past as we look toward its future.”
The Tillamook County Pioneer Museum is open Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – 4 pm. Admission, special event listings, and more can be found at tcpm.org.
