Lincoln loan note on display at museum

SPRINGFIELD — A piece of Abraham Lincoln's early financial struggles will be on display through June at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield.

The museum says it will display a promissory note signed by the 24-year-old Lincoln for $379.82. That's the equivalent of about $20,000 in current dollars.

The museum says Lincoln borrowed the money to open a store in Sangamon County that quickly failed. A court ordered that Lincoln's horse, saddle and some other possessions be sold to help pay off his debt. Historians believe he wasn't free of the debt until he was at least 30 years old.

The promissory note is part of a collection of Lincoln artifacts the museum recently acquired. Other pieces will be displayed later.