Touch of Lincoln Extends to Pella

Pat Klein is pictured with her grandsons at her home in Pella. She and I went to the Scholte house for a Lincoln exhibit. H.P. Scholte, the leader of the immigration to Pella from the Netherlands in 1847, went to the nomination for Lincoln in Illinois in 1860. His journal showed entries for “ Visit to A. Lincoln with delegation from Iowa.” When Scholte went to Springfield, another entry was “Visit to Lincoln and Lady.” Abraham Lincoln and Scholte corresponded. Scholte was offered an ambassador position to Belgium but that was rescinded when congress passed a bill that said that all ambassadors had to be born in the US. The cane was said to be given to Scholte by President Lincoln. The playbill was for the play that Lincoln was watching when he was assassinated.