Welcome

Jason Emerson

Welcome to www.jasonemerson.com — information about historian Jason Emerson’s research and writing projects, which focus mainly on the life and times of Abraham Lincoln and his family.                   

Here you will find information and links to Jason’s books, articles, news, and upcoming projects.

NEWS: Check out Jason’s latest article, “This Civil War–Era Eagle Sculpture Was Made Out of Abraham Lincoln’s Hair,” posted on the Smithsonian Magazine website!

Jason’s next book (with co-author with Erica Barnes) is “The Bear Tree” and Other Stories from Cazenovia’s History, to be published by Syracuse University Press in 2021.

“The Bear Tree” and Other Stories explores the unheralded, inaccurately told, and long-forgotten tales of the historic lakeside village of Cazenovia, in the scenic Finger Lakes region of New York State. Cazenovia is one of the jewels of Central New York, and yet very few books have told its story. Cazenovia is a town founded by wealthy men, and much of what has been written about it has focused on the elite and the grand lakeshore mansions in which they lived. In contrast, this new book chronicles the story of everyday Cazenovia: the fascinating people, places, and history of this 225-year-old community.

Readers will encounter historical characters such as Francis Blakeslee, whose relics from and reminiscences of Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War are unprecedented; elephant and lion tamer Lucia Zora Card, “The Bravest Woman in the World”; educator Susan Blow, “The Mother of American Kindergarten”; and World War I soldier Cecil Donovan, whose letters home vividly depicted the experience of war for those awaiting his return in Cazenovia.

Jason’s previous books include: