A Day With Abe Lincoln

We arrived in Cave City yesterday and decided to stay an extra night. After two long days of driving we wanted a day to relax and sight see. Cave City is centrally located with many interesting places to visit. I have blogged on many of these attractions before. This time we travelled north to visit Abe at his birthplace. 

When we mention born in a log cabin in Kentucky most people think of Abraham Lincoln. In the early 1900's almost 100 years since Lincoln's birth, a memorial was built on a knoll near the town of Hodgenville, KY. The memorial and Sinking Springs Farm became apart of the national park system in 1916.

There are 56 granite steps leading up to the memorial, one for every year of Lincoln's  life. Inside is a log cabin which is typical of the period and area. However, it is not the original birth cabin.

To understand how Abraham Lincoln came to be the 16th President of the United States we first have to look at his ancestry and where they came from.

Samuel, the first America Lincoln arrived from England in 1637 and settled in Massachusetts. His descendants moved to New Jersey then Pennsylvania. In 1768 John Lincoln (Abe's great grandfather) moved to Virginia. In 1782 John's son Abraham (Abe's grandfather) along with his wife Bersheba settled near present day Louisville. Although the area was dangerous with Indian warfare it held rich fertile land for farming attracting early pioneers. In May 1786, Abraham was killed while working the fields. Thomas, the future presidents father was saved from death when his brother shot an attacking Indian.

In 1803 Thomas's family moved and settled near Elizabethtown. As a skilled carpenter, Thomas saved his money enabling him to purchase 230 acres of farmland. In 1806 he married a young women named Nancy Hanks (somehow related to Tom Hanks from what I'm told). In 1808 Thomas and Nancy bought Sinking Springs Farm a 300 acre stony farm for $200. The first child, Sarah was born but at one year of age they moved 14 miles southwest. 

On Sunday February 12, 1809 the future president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln was born in a small one room log cabin which sat atop a knoll near the town of Hodgen's Mill (Hodgenville, KY today).

How the cabin might have looked

The reason for the name Sinking Springs Farm is from a sink hole that developed on the land. This is where the Lincoln family got their fresh water supply.

  












Before walking the grounds of Abe Lincoln's birthplace we visited the National Park Visitor's Center where they have several exhibits and a very informative film.

The Lincoln family bible

Lincoln family statue

We also learn that Abraham Lincoln had a younger brother (Thomas Lincoln, Jr) who died in infancy. The cause of death is unknown. The simple field stone once marked his burial site.

  The grounds at this historical site are beautiful with several walking trails of different lengths. About 9 miles down the road is the national historic site of Lincoln's boyhood home. We opted to leave that for another time since it was time to eat. Food always wins over siteseeing.

Beautiful grounds