Lincoln Memorial Shrine

Robert and Alma Watchorn contributed greatly to Redlands’ cultural life. Robert, a labor organizer, Commissioner of Immigration at Ellis Island, and oilman who experienced the American dream, identified as a self-made man with Abraham Lincoln, and he shared that interest with his only child, Emory Ewart. After Ewart’s impaired health led to his death at age 25 as a result of his service as a pilot in World War I, the devastated Watchorns decided to memorialize their son by erecting a museum in Redlands honoring Lincoln. The bas-relief was donated by Drs. Boyd, Alan, and Kenneth Nies in memory of their parents, Dr. Arthur and Mary Nies, who also lived the American dream.

Redlands, California · United States