Antique S. Silliman traveling inkwell made from lignum vitae wood fitted with its original blown glass bottle. Chester, CT, circa 1860. Excellent condition. Height 2 and one eighth inches. In the 19th century, the S. Silliman Company in Chester, CT, made itself known nationwide for its wooden inkstands and inkwells. Indeed, it is said that Abraham Lincoln had a Silliman inkwell in his Springfield, IL, law office, and in 1837 a Silliman inkwell was gifted to President Martin Van Buren. Lignum vitae is a dense, hard, and heavy wood that comes from trees in the Guaiacum genus, which are native to the Caribbean and northern South America.