Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Media personality and political commentator Glenn Beck is pitching in to keep a trove of artifacts related to Abraham Lincoln in the 16th president's hometown.
Beck's charity, Mercury One, has donated $50,000 toward a $9.2 million debt owed for a collection of 1,400 artifacts purchased a decade ago for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield.
Beck says: "Lincoln's mission didn't end in the 1860s. His words challenge us yet today."
The museum's fundraising foundation took out a $23 million loan in 2007 to obtain the collection. The collection includes valuable personal effects of Lincoln's and a stovepipe hat whose link to Lincoln has been questioned.
Museum director Alan Lowe thanked Beck for his gift and for urging listeners of his popular radio talk show to help.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
