Abraham Lincoln National Historical Park, Kentucky

NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK

KENTUCKY

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NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK

Here the lije of Abraham Lincobi began, the man who, more than any other,
preserved the American Union in the time oj its greatest crisis, 1861-65.

On a raw frontier farm of rolling land
on the edge of "the Barrens," in the cabin
by the Sinking Spring, was born the man
whose strides carried him awkwardly, yet
majestically, over a path which began in
common Kentucky clay and ended in im-
mortality. Here was born the man who
said, "Why should there not be a patient
confidence in the ultimate justice of the
people? Is there any better or equal hope
in the world?" More enduring than
bronze or marble, this spot shall speak its
message of the mystery and majesty of life
to Americans down through the ages.

The Lincoln Family

In the midst of the Indian wars and raids
at the close of the Revolution the Lincoln
family moved to the frontier region of
Kentucky. The father of Abraham Lin-
coln, the 1 6th President, was Thomas Lin-
coln; his grandfather was Abraham, for
whom he was named ; and his great-grand-
father was John Lincoln. This John Lin-
coln had moved from near Reading, Pa.,
to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, and
his son, Abraham, together with his family
moved across the mountains into Kentucky
sometime between 1782 and 1784. Here
Abraham, the grandfather, was killed by
an Indian from ambush. This event prob-
ably occurred in May 1786. Thomas, the
youngest son, was then about to years old.

About 1800 Thomas Lincoln settled
down in Elizabethtown and during the
next few years was a hard working and
industrious man of that community, ac-

quiring a reputation as a carpenter.

On June 10, 1806, Thomas Lincoln filed
a declaration of intention to marry Nancy
Hanks, and two days later, on June 12,
1 806, they were married by the Rev.. Jesse
Head. The newly married couple made
their home in Elizabethtown. Here their
first child, Sarah, was born in 1807.

The image of Nancy Hanks is blurred
and uncertain to us of this generation.
One authority has said of her, "dim as the
dream of a shifting mirage, her face and
figure waver through the mists of time and
rumor." Although her physical features
left no definite impression upon the minds
of those who years later tried to recall her
image, there is an almost unanimous agree-
ment among these witnesses concerning her
mental and spiritual attributes. That she
was possessed of a fine native intelligence,
of courage, and of a morality above re-
proach, that she was kind and affectionate,
seems fairly clear.

The Birthplace of Abraham Lincoln

On December 12, 1808, Thomas Lin-
coln bought for $200 in cash a 300-acre
farm, known as the Sinking Spring Farm,
situated a few miles south of Hodgen's
Mill. Here, he and his wife and their in-
fant daughter took up their abode in a one-
room log cabin near a large limestone
spring of cool water which had given its
name to the place. It was in this one-room
log cabin near the Sinking Spring that the
child, Abraham, was born to Thomas and
Nancy Hanks Lincoln, February 12, 1809.

The Lincolns lived at the birthplace site,
which eventually vi'as lost to them because
of a defective land title, about two and a
half years. Prior to midsummer in 1811
they moved to a farm on Knob Creek,
about 10 miles to the northeast. Their
residence there lasted only a few years, for
in November or December 18 16, Thomas
Lincoln left Kentucky and made a new
home in the wilderness settlement of Little
Pigeon Creek, about 16 miles north of the
Ohio River, in Indiana. Nancy Hanks
Lincoln, the mother of Abraham, lived
only about 2 years after the removal to
Indiana. An epidemic came to the little
settlement on Pigeon Creek and, while at-
tending the stricken, she herself was taken
ill and died within a week, on October 5,
1 8 18. The mother of Abraham Lincoln
was buried in an unmarked grave in a little
clearing in the midst of the deep woods.
The Park

Abraham Lincoln National Historical
Park comprises 1 10J/2 acres of land, nearly

100 acres of which were included in the
original Thomas Lincoln farm. Here are
situated the Memorial Building housing
the traditional Lincoln birthplace log ca-
bin, the Sinking Spring, and the ancient
boundary oak tree which was a landmark
at the time of Lincoln's birth.

The Birthplace Cabin

The log cabin in the Memorial Building
is the traditional birthplace cabin. It is
impossible to say with certainty that it is
the original cabin. From 1861 to the pres-
ent time the history of the log cabin which
is now displayed within the Memorial
Building is fairly clear. Its history prior
to 1 86 1 is a matter of controversy and
doubt. Nor is there conclusive evidence
concerning the specific location of the orig-
inal cabin. Certain testimony indicates
that it stood on top of the knoll where the
Memorial Building is now situated; still
other that it stood under the knoll, a short
distance from the Sinking Spring, and
about on a level with it.

The Memorial Building

The first individual to become interested
in preserving the birthplace cabin was Dr.
George Rodman, who, in March 1861,
bought a log cabin standing on the birth-
place farm and moved it a little over a
mile to the north and reerected it on his
own farm. Here it remained until 1894,
when it was purchased by a representative
of A. W. Dennett of New York and taken
back to the Lincoln farm where 110/2
acres of land had been purchased about
this time by Mr. Dennett. In the succeed-
ing years the cabin was dismantled, the
logs carefully marked, and taken to various
expositions throughout the country where
it was exhibited. Eventually the cabin
was stored in the basement of the old
PofTcnhausen mansion at College Point,
Long Island, N. Y. It remained there
until 1906 when it was purchased by the
Lincoln Farm Association. It was then
taken to Louisville under a military escort
where, after being reerected as a feature of
the Louisville Homecoming celebration,
the cabin again went into storage. In 1909

it was taken temporarily to the birthplace
farm for the ceremonies attending the lay-
ing of the cornerstone of the Memorial
Building. In 191 1, upon the completion
of this structure, the cabin was taken on
the last of its travels back to the site of its
origin and reerected within the Memorial
Building.

The Memorial Building

In 1904, the Lincoln Farm Association,
of which Richard Lloyd Jones, then man-
aging editor, and Robert J. Collier, pub-
lisher of Collier's Weekly, were the leading
members, was formed for the purpose of
raising by popular subscription funds to
purchase the birthplace and make it a
national memorial. The 110/2 acres now
comprising the historical park were pur- ■
chased for the Lincoln Farm Association
in 1905, although title did not pass to the
Association until 1907. On April 16, 1916,
the Lincoln Farm Association deeded its
holdings to the United States of America.

The Memorial Building, designed by

Traditional Lincoln Birthplace cabin showing
door and window

Old boundary white oak

The Sinking Spring
John Russell Pope and built of Connecti-
cut pink granite and Tennessee marble,
was constructed by the Lincoln Farm Asso-
ciation in the years 1909— 1 1 through funds
raised by popular subscription. Over
100,000 citizens, many of them school chil-
dren, contributed to this fund. The cor-
nerstone of the building was laid by Presi-
dent Theodore Roosevelt on February 12,
1909, the one hundredth anniversary of
Lincoln's birth. The chief address at the
dedication of the building on November 9,
191 1, was delivered by President Taft.

When the area, together with its improve-
ments, was deeded to the United States in
191 6, President Wilson journeyed to the
site and made the acceptance speech in
behalf of the Government and of the
people of the United States.

How to Reach the Park

The Abraham Lincoln birthplace is situ-
ated approximately 3 miles south of Hod-
genville, Ky., on U. S. Highways No. 31E
and No. 68, the main traveled road running
from south to north through Tennessee and
Kentucky, from Nashville to Louisville, to
Bardstown, and on into the heart of the
Blue Grass at Lexington. Transcontinen-
tal Highway U. S. No. 60 intercepts U. S.
Highway No. 31 W at Fort Knox, about 30
miles north of Hodgenville.

Service to the Public

The birthplace farm and Memorial
Building are open to visitors daily. At-
tendants are on duty at the latter place.
Organizations and groups will be given
special service if arrangements are made in
advance with the custodian.

Administration

Since 1933 the park has been adminis-
tered by the National Park Service, United
States Department of the Interior. Other
areas in the National Park System that
relate to Abraham Lincoln include the Lin-
coln Memorial, the Lincoln Museum, and
the House Where Lincoln Died, Washing-
ton, D. C. Communications concerning
the park should be addressed to the Custo-
dian, Abraham Lincoln National Histori-
cal Park, Hodgenville, Ky.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

J. A. Krug, Secretary
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, Newton B. Drury, Director

Cover Design: Artist's conception of the early appearance of the Lincoln Birthplace cabin and its setting.