The trip took him through New York State, and included a stop in Westfield, where thousands gathered to meet the President-Elect.

The February 19, 1861, edition of the New York World recounted the meeting as follows: "At Westfield an interesting incident occurred.

Shortly after his nomination Mr. Lincoln had received from that place a letter from a little girl, who urged him, as a means of improving his personal appearance, to wear whiskers.

Mr. Lincoln at the time replied, stating that although he was obliged by the suggestion, he feared his habits of life were too fixed to admit of even so slight a change as that which letting his beard grow involved.

There was a momentary commotion, in the midst of which an old man, struggling through the crowd, approached, leading his daughter, a girl of apparently twelve or thirteen years of age, whom he introduced to Mr. Lincoln as his Westfield correspondent.

Today there is a small park in Westfield commemorating this meeting, on the former site of the Grand Theatre movie house.

[citation needed] Westfield is at the second westernmost exit on Interstate 90 (the New York State Thruway) before it reaches the Pennsylvania border.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 3.8 square miles (9.9 km2), all land.

The center of Westfield is approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) south of the shore of Lake Erie.