The Governor Richard J. Oglesby Mansion and Museum, located at 421 West William Street in Decatur will be offering a special tour during Historic Preservation Week on Saturday, May 16th at 2:00-4:00pm. The special events are organized by History of the Heartland. The event is free with donations accepted.

The highlight of this special tour will be the official unveiling of the newest Oglesby artifact housed in the museum. Ron J. Keller, Director and Curator, of the Lincoln Heritage Museum contacted the Oglesby Mansion and Museum board President Dave Davis in late March. Mr. Keller offered to transfer the deed of a very unique Oglesby artifact, an authentic law desk Oglesby used while practicing law. “We were thrilled to accept such a gift for our museum. I do wonder if perhaps Abraham Lincoln may have sat on this desk while visiting with his friend Richard Oglesby!” says Davis. The desk was used by Oglesby from his early days as an attorney in 1845 until his death in 1899. The desk measures 7 feet long and has 14 drawers, 7 on each side so two attorneys could have used the desk at the same time. The top is covered in a green leather and the desk is believed to be original, including the drawer pulls. Oglesby collection chairman, Barb Hipple points to even more provenance of this desk. “In February 1977, the then owner of the desk loaned it to his friend, newly elected Illinois Governor James Thompson to use as his governor’s desk,” says Hipple.

Thompson served 4 terms making him the longest serving Governor since Oglesby at that time. After serving as Thompson’s desk, it was returned back to attorney John Gehlbach until his death in 2010. Gehlbach had gifted it to his longtime assistant Scott Werner. In 2017, Werners donated the desk to the Lincoln College President for use as his desk until the recent closure of the college in Lincoln.

“The desk is showcased in the entry hall of the mansion and we look forward to having many citizens view such a priceless museum artifact,” says Hipple.