While researching early newspaper articles about the Urbana Lincoln Hotel, I stumbled upon a small piece in the Urbana Daily Courier from August 6, 1934, regarding Abraham Lincoln's "mad" couch. The author discussed how travelers regularly used this "mad" couch in the Maplewood Hotel's lobby in Berlin, Wisconsin. Made specifically for Lincoln, as it is six feet, six inches long, the couch was reportedly from his office in Springfield. The provenance of the couch is recounted in the article. It was first left with General Brayman, "a close friend" of Lincoln's who acquired it presumably when Lincoln died. Though the article says when [he] did not return to Springfield," a much more polite way to say they took a dead president's furniture. After coming to Wisconsin, the couch was given to Dr. Victor Kutchin, who owned it at the time of the article's writing. The ownership story ends there at the end of a tiny, two-paragraph article placed among the "Evening Courier's Page of Interpretation and Opinion." [1] Read more about Lincoln's "Mad" Couch

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You may already know that the Champaign County Historical Archives has a large collection of local newspapers from 1852 to the present day. In addition to well-known popular publications like the News-Gazette, Courier, and Daily Illini, we also have microfilm copies of papers from smaller communities, such as the Homer Enterprise and the Tolono Herald. If you're looking for news from one of CU's independent presses, like the Spectrum, Sidewinder, or Octopus, we have print copies available for perusal in the reading room. Read more about Newspapers: Print, Microfilm, and Digital

Rediscover online resources offered by EBSCO, now also available in our library through a new, engaging interface called Explora. Designed with public library patrons in mind, Explora provides easy-to-use features and reliable content from the world’s leading magazines and reference books. Find full-text articles, or citations and summaries, displayed in a new, easier way.

Available to all on library computers and remotely to our cardholders, Explora offers the following content and features: Read more about EXPLORA--Research Made Easier

When planning to make a big purchase, what key factors influence your selection process? Do you go to the store and pick based on the best sale? Do you read through customer reviews on the retailer websites and pick the item with the highest number of stars? Or do you stick with brand loyalty, and only review items with a certain label? Read more about Before you buy...