Zachariah N. Garbutt House ~ Pittsfield, IL - Illinois Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

Marker Text:

All 3 of Lincoln's Presidential secretaries came from Pike County. John George Nicolay was one and lived here, 1848-1855. Nicolay started his career when he answered Zachariah Garbutt's advertisement for a printer's devil in the Free Press: "Wanted-an intelligent boy, from 14 to 17 years of age, who can read and write, to learn the Printing Business." Nicolay walked Pittsfield, spent the night sleeping on sacks of wool in the "Carding Machine" and got the job the next morning. Mr. and Mrs. Garbutt, who founded the newspaper in 1839, took a liking to Nicolay and took him into their home. Nicolay succeeded Garbutt as editor. Thomas Shastid (house on Jefferson St.) introduced Lincoln to Nicolay. Nicolay later moved to Springfield where he served as clerk to Illinois Sec. of State, Oziah M. Hatch of Griggsville. On a visit back to Pittsfield in 1860, Daniel Bush, editor of the "Pike County Journal", asked him to write an article advocating Lincoln as President of the United States on the Republican ticket. This editorial is believed by some to be the first to suggest Lincoln for President. Nicolay served as U.S. Consul at Paris, France, edited the Chicago Republican newspaper and served as Marshall to the Supreme Court of the United States, 1872-1887.

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