An open provenance mystery

A boy’s name, carved in mahogany: TAD

Someone carved “TAD” into the top of this Empire flame-mahogany chest of drawers. On the back are the words “DIED ON,” a backwards 1865 and a mourning scene. The chest turned up in Clendenin, West Virginia, and its owner believes it may have been carved by Tad Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln’s youngest son. Can you help prove it, or disprove it?

See the carvings Read Tad’s story Share what you know

The chest: three small top drawers, one deep drawer, three long drawers. Click to enlarge.

NEWRead the Full Research Archive (PDF)October 2026 public edition: sources, records checked, dead ends and open questions

Every theory in the archive is clearly marked unconfirmed. Nothing here proves Lincoln ownership.

Latest Findings (November 2026)

Conservator’s dating opinion: conservator Tom Heller, working from photographs only, estimated the chest was made about 1830–40, possibly in western Pennsylvania or Ohio. UNCONFIRMED
Missing backsplash: screw holes along the back edge of the top show that a backsplash was once attached and is now missing. None of the carvings cross the backsplash line. UNCONFIRMED (what this means for when the carving was done is an open question)
How the top is attached: the top is held by screws driven up through hand-gouged pockets in the back rail. This is consistent with hand-built work of the early-to-mid 1800s. UNCONFIRMED
Wood identification: professional identification (mahogany vs. cherry) is pending. PENDING

These are research notes, not conclusions. Full details are in the public research archive (PDF).

The mystery

Four carvings, one question

Who cut these marks into the wood, and why? These are the clues that started the search.

Clue 1

“TAD”

Carved on the top of the chest, and again on the back.

See the TAD carving before and after cleaning → See the TAD carving in raking light (RTI) →

Clue 2

“DIED ON”

Words carved into the back of the chest.

Clue 3

A backwards 1865

A date carved in reverse on the back. 1865 is the year Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.

Clue 4

A mourning scene

A carved scene of grief on the rear panel.

The chest

Style: Empire, flame mahogany
Date: About the 1840s–50s
Drawers: Three small top drawers (the tiny center one has a keyhole), one deep drawer, three long drawers
Details: Barley-twist columns, rope-twist apron
Found: Clendenin, West Virginia

What we know, and what we don’t

This is a hypothesis, and it is still being tested. No document yet links this chest, or any chest like it, to Tad or the Lincoln family.

That is exactly why your help matters. A name, a family story, an old photograph or an expert eye could settle it either way.

Share what you know

Who was Tad?

The President’s youngest son

Thomas “Tad” Lincoln was born in Springfield on April 4, 1853, the youngest son of Abraham and Mary Lincoln. His father nicknamed him “Tadpole.” He grew up in the White House, lost his father in April 1865, and died in Chicago on July 15, 1871, at eighteen.

Read Tad’s story

“‘Tad’ was a merry, warm-blooded, kindly little boy, perfectly lawless, and full of odd fancies and inventions.” John Hay, the President’s secretary, Century Magazine, Nov. 1890

The research trail

Provenance Summary

The owner’s research explores a possible connection between this 1850s Empire mahogany chest of drawers and Robert Todd Lincoln and his daughter, Mary Lincoln Isham. This is the trail as he has pieced it together so far.

Pre-1926

Possibly gifted by Robert Todd Lincoln to his daughter, Mary Lincoln Isham (Mamie). This is one possibility the owner is testing, not an established fact.
1926

Following Robert Todd Lincoln’s death, an inventory recorded a “Bureau and mirror” as the personal property of Mary Lincoln Isham, noted as an “M.I. gift.”
After 1926

Where the chest went next is still being traced. The owner is checking records from Hildene, the Lincoln family home in Manchester, Vermont, and other archives.
December 29, 2012

Bought by the owner at Mountaineer Auctions in Clendenin, West Virginia, in a sale consigned by Greg Hoover of Alliance, Ohio.

In the archives

Key Historical Documents

1926 Inventory

Robert Todd Lincoln Estate

"Bureau and mirror" recorded as personal property of Mary Lincoln Isham ("M.I. gift").

Look closely

Photo Gallery

Click any photo to enlarge it. Use the arrow keys or swipe to move between photos.

Captions are the owner’s descriptions of each photo.

Have Information?

Did you see, sell or own a twist-column Empire chest of drawers carved “TAD” before December 2012? Do you remember it at the Mountaineer Auctions sale in Clendenin, or at a shop or estate sale? Any detail helps, including leads that point away from the Lincoln family.

Use the contact form below

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this proven to be Tad Lincoln’s chest?

No. “TAD” is carved on the top, but no document yet links this chest, or any chest like it, to Tad or the Lincoln family. The Lincoln connection is a hypothesis that is still being tested.

Where was the chest found?

In Clendenin, West Virginia, through the December 2012 Mountaineer Auctions sale. Where it was before that is the main unanswered question.

How old is it?

Its Empire style points to roughly the 1840s–50s. A conservator’s opinion from photographs only puts it at about 1830–40. Neither has been confirmed by an in-person examination.

Is it mahogany or cherry?

Not settled yet. Professional wood identification is pending.

How can I help?

If you know anything about the chest’s history, the carvings, or similar furniture, please use the contact form. The full research is in the archive PDF.