Before Abraham Lincoln became the 16th President of the United States, his career as an Illinois lawyer earned him prominence. During his rise to fame, Lincoln made a little-known stop right here in the Buckeye State.

While Lincoln may have first worked in Ohio on a trespass suit in 1848, Cincinnati court records were destroyed by a fire in 1884, making it hard to confirm his participation in the case. However, the future president made a later stop in Cincinnati in 1855.

The case of McCormick v. Manny & Company began as a patent infringement suit in Illinois. Cyrus H. McCormick received the first patent on a reaper machine in 1834 that quickly gained importance in farming technology. By the 1850s, other manufacturers began introducing improvement patents to the reaper, including Manny & Company. The stiff competition between the producers led McCormick to file suit in a Chicago federal court, alleging patent infringement on certain parts of the machine.

Both parties hired renowned attorneys, but Manny & Company’s team believed they could benefit from an Illinois-based lawyer since the case would be heard in the U.S. Circuit Court in Chicago. With this in mind, Abraham Lincoln, a lawyer from Springfield, Illinois, was selected to join the defense.

A venue change moved the case to federal court in Cincinnati, bringing Lincoln to Ohio. He worked diligently to prepare, researching the mechanics of patent law. Despite his efforts, the legal team ceased contact with Lincoln before trial. When he arrived in Cincinnati, his co-counsel had denied him a role in the proceedings. Although the reason remains unclear, Lincoln still provided his prepared brief.

Manny & Company later won the case, even amid conflict within the legal team. Regardless of an eventual victory, the events of the case soured Lincoln’s time in Ohio.

Although he initially expressed a desire not to return to the city, he came back to Ohio in 1859, including a stop in Cincinnati. While campaigning for his party, he was warmly received in several Ohio cities. The state’s support for the senator from Illinois helped propel him to victory in the presidential election the following year and again in 1864. He also visited three Ohio cities during his 1861 inaugural journey.

After his death in 1865, his body lay in the Ohio Statehouse, where thousands of mourners paid their respects before he was laid to rest in Springfield, Illinois.

America is preparing for its 250th birthday on July 4, 2026, the Supreme Court of Ohio is celebrating the semiquincentennial with a year-long celebration called “The Story of America" highlighting significant historical events. Beyond digital content, the celebration includes events and displays at the Court. The initiative aims to spark curiosity, enhance civic literacy, and honor key moments in American and Ohio history.