page_title: Mary Harlan Lincoln
section_title: Marriage and children
hierarchical_section_title: Mary Harlan Lincoln / Life and family / Marriage and children
caption_attribution_description: Photograph of Hildene mansion on the former estate of Robert Todd Lincoln in Manchester, Vermont, United States of America
context_page_description: Mary Eunice Harlan Lincoln was the daughter of United States Senator James Harlan and the wife of Robert T. Lincoln.
context_section_description: Robert Todd Lincoln and Mary Eunice Harlan were married on September 24, 1868. They had two daughters and one son:
  Mary "Mamie" Lincoln (October 15, 1869 – November 21, 1938)
  Abraham Lincoln II (nicknamed "Jack") (August 14, 1873 – March 5, 1890)
  Jessie Harlan Lincoln (November 6, 1875 – January 4, 1948).
  In an era before air conditioning, Robert, Mary and the children would often leave the hot city life behind in summer for the cooler climate of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. During the 1880s the family would "summer" at the Harlan home. The Harlan-Lincoln home, built in 1876, still stands today. Donated by Mary Harlan Lincoln to Iowa Wesleyan College in 1907, it now serves as a museum with many artifacts from the Lincoln family and from Abraham Lincoln's presidency.
  For a time Mary Lincoln lived with Robert Lincoln and Mary Harlan, but the two women apparently did not get along, and Mary Lincoln moved out, eventually being committed by Robert to Bellevue Place, a private, sanitarium in Batavia, Illinois in May, 1875. Some sources indicate that Mary Harlan Lincoln may have been an alcoholic, which negatively affected her relationship with her mother in law, husband and children.  The available information is circumstantial, and this question has not been resolved with certainty.
  Robert Lincoln pursued a successful career in law, business and politics, serving as Secretary of War from 1881 to 1885 under Presidents James A. Garfield and Chester A. Arthur. The Lincolns lived in London, England for a period of time as Robert served as United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1889 to 1893 under President Benjamin Harrison.  Afterwards, he returned to practicing law. Made quite wealthy by his law practice, which included General Counsel to, and later President of, the Pullman Palace Car Company the Lincolns lived at homes in Chicago, Washington, and Hildene in Manchester, Vermont.
  By all accounts, Mary Harlan Lincoln was intensely private, and worked diligently to keep herself out of the public eye and prevent herself from being photographed.  In addition to managing the family households, she was responsible for her husband's estate after his death in July 1926. She also oversaw charitable bequests and family trusts before her death.
  Mary Harlan Lincoln died in Washington on March 31, 1937.  She was buried with her husband and son Jack at Arlington National Cemetery, Section 31.
caption: Robert and Mary Harlan Lincoln's mansion, Hildene, in Manchester, Vermont.
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