One Hundred Years of Law: An Account of the Law Office Which John T. Stuart Founded in Springfield, Illinois, a Century Ago

Springfield: Brown, Hay and Stephens, 1928. Hardcover. Small 4to. Tan buckram with paper label. 53pp. Frontispiece, illustrations. Very good. Faint binding wear, else tight and internally fine. Attractive first edition of this history of the law firm that published it, descended in a convoluted way from Abraham Lincoln's law firm. Thusly: Stuart and Lincoln (1837-41) evolved into Stuart, Edwards and Brown (Christopher Brown joining the firm) in 1860; in 1886, following the death of John T. Stuart and Benjamin Edwards, Brown's son Stuart joined the firm; later came the grandson of Lincoln's second law partner Stephen T. Logan, Stuart's brother-in-law Logan Hay; by 1921 and after many firm name changes, the firm of Brown, Hay & Stephens came into being. Got that? This most unusual copy bears a fine presentation inscription on front flyleaf: "Compliments of / Logan Hay / to / Carl Schurz Vrooman / Oct 25, 1928." Logan Hay (1871-1942) was Springfield attorney, politician and president of the Abraham Lincoln Association (1920-42); Vrooman (1872-1966) was Assistant Secretary of Agriculture under President Woodrow Wilson and was related by marriage to Adlai Stevenson I (vice president under Cleveland), who gave away his niece Julia Green Scott at her 1896 wedding to Vrooman. Got that? This copy hails from the collection of Adlai E. Stevenson III (1930-2021), U.S. Senator from Illinois (1969-81), who in turn acquired it from the collection of his father, Adlai E. Stevenson II (1900-65), governor of Illinois and two-time presidential candidate. MONAGHAN 2989.