darrenpetrie.com A Coat for Lincoln
Book cover: an outline of Illinois framing a sepia photograph of a farm couple standing in a field

A Family Story

A Coat for Lincoln

by Darren Petrie · October 2026

Sixteen family lines — out of Donegal and Limerick, Armagh and the Forest of Dean, Scotland and the Quaker townships of Maryland — to the farms, coal seams, and courthouse squares of central Illinois, and at last west to the Arizona desert, where two of them became one household.

McWard · McWenie · White · Pate · Hobson · O'Connell · Hill · Holt · Lamb · Logan · Barnard · Worley · Moore · Beveridge · Englebright · Heath

Start reading

Front matter

  1. Preface
  2. Introduction

Chapters

  1. 01 Out of Donegal The McWard Beginnings McWard · McIntosh
  2. 02 McWenie Cigars A Family Arc from New York to New Mexico McWenie · Moore
  3. 03 Orchards and Looms The Immigrant Hobsons Hobson
  4. 04 Rebecca Carried It West Talbotts from Maryland to Ohio Quaker Townships Talbott · Hobson
  5. 05 A Soprano in Silver Country An engineer and a singer meet far from home Hill · Beveridge
  6. 06 Come Out and Get Your Old Man Holt and Heath move West Holt · Heath · Umstead · Campbell
  7. 07 Buried on Christmas Day From the pits of the Dean to the coalfields of Illinois White · Barnard
  8. 08 I Pledge Allegiance A farming man's allegiance in wartime Arkansas Pate · Englebright · Hinckle
  9. 09 The Root Crop and the Coal Seam Turnip Farmers of Gillespie O'Connell · Worley · White
  10. 10 The Horseshoeing Shop on the Square From Kokomo trouble to the mayor's chair Hobson · Conner · Logan
  11. 11 The Man They Called R.J. From farmer to businessman McWard · Lamb · Phenix
  12. 12 Bridge Street Roared with Gunfire The eclectic life of Edward McWenie McWenie · Hill
  13. 13 He Wasn't Supposed to Go In A magnate's promise at the graveside White · O'Connell
  14. 14 West to the Pecos Arkansas to Arizona Pate · Holt · McWenie
  15. 15 Meals by Dumbwaiter Elmer and Helen McWard at the courthouse square McWard · Hobson · Logan
  16. 16 A Navy Wedding in Taylorville A May Queen and a Navy ensign White · McWard
  17. 17 One Household in the Sonoran Desert A scar, a wry line, and a marriage McWard · McWenie