LINCOLN’S PARENTS, THEIR STORY!
Abraham Lincoln was known for his humble backwoods, self-taught beginnings. It was part of his charm and why so many regular Americans supported him. Many felt he was just like them, salt of the earth, log cabin living, hardworking Americans. Without a doubt, that is the world that he came from. A quick visit to the Lincoln Homestead State Park, in Washington County, Kentucky, and you get a glimpse of the world Lincoln came from because it is where his parents met.
Let’s start our story with Abraham Lincoln’s mother, Nancy Hanks-Lincoln. There’s a lot of speculation as to Nancy’s early life. Some say that her parents weren’t married. Some say she was of mixed race. Some say she worked as a waitress in Bean Station, Tennessee. Still others say some even more outlandish things about her and her past. We’ll leave those theories out of this particular story and save them for another time.
We know at some point, Nancy’s father died and with her mother, moved from Virginia, to this the cabin that stands at the park. The cabin was the home of Mr. Francis Berry, who married Nancy’s aunt, the sister of her mother. Nancy worked as a seamstress while she lived here.
Abraham’s father was Thomas Lincoln, and Thomas’ father was Captain Abraham Lincoln. Stay with me here, yes, Abraham’s grandfather was also named Abraham, but to keep it simple, we will refer to him as “Captain Lincoln”. Captain Lincoln served in the Revolutionary War, and for his service, he was given a land grant in Kentucky. In 1782, Captain Lincoln moved his family to Casey County, Kentucky and then later moved to an area that today is just outside of Louisville.
Just a few years later, in 1786, Captain Lincoln and his three sons Mordecai, Josiah, and Thomas were out working in the field. The group heard a rifle crack and Captain Abraham Lincoln dropped dead right there on the spot. Thomas, the youngest of the tree of brothers was only eight-years-old, and he sprinted to the side of his fallen father. Mordecai, who was the oldest, told the middle brother Josiah to go to the nearest station and get help. Right about that time a Native American burst out of the tree line and ran to kill the little boy Thomas. The screaming native grabbed him, reached back his Tomahawk, and before he can swing to end the life of the boy, he was dropped dead from an accurate rifle shot by Mordecai.
Had he missed, or even not immediately killed the Indian, young Thomas would have surely been killed. Thomas went on to become the father of the great President Abraham Lincoln. Think about that a second… One missed shot and Abraham doesn’t exist. Would we have had a civil war? Would the North have allowed the South to break away for good? Would a different president punish the South even more harshly? I know there are varying thoughts and opinions in different circles about Abraham Lincoln. He is a polarizing figure for sure, but one thing is for sure, if Mordecai missed his shot, you can bet that our American history would definitely be different. It’s amazing what one moment can have on the future of millions.
After the tragic event, the boys’ mother Beersheba Lincoln moved the family back to the Bluegrass Region in Washington County. This area was much safer and had a bigger population for protection. Under Virginia law, Mordecai inherited two thirds of his father’s estate, and that made him semi-wealthy, and he had several acres. From 1796 until 1811 Mordecai Lincoln lived in a house that stands today, less than a mile from the park. It is the oldest property in Kentucky that was once owned by part of the Lincoln family.
The youngest brother Thomas was without an inheritance and was forced to be a self-made man. He became a skilled carpenter, made cabinets, built mills, worked as a skilled rock mason, etc. Many of the structures that he worked on, still exist today and you can visit them.
Thomas and Nancy both lived in the area surrounding the park. The Berry cabin there is the exact house where Thomas came to court Nancy. The two fell in love and it is said that Thomas proposed to Nancy in the house at the fireplace mantel. They were soon married by Reverend Head and their wedding cabin is now located at Fort Harrod State Park, inside a church shrine. We recommend that you make a point to visit that also.
Shortly after the couple married, they moved to Elizabethtown, Kentucky and Thomas built riverboats, which was an exploding industry at the time. In 1807, they were blessed with a daughter who they named Sarah and in December of 1808, they moved to Sinking Spring Farm.
Here they were blessed with a child again, a baby boy, which they named after Thomas’ father, Abraham Lincoln. The birthplace of Abraham, is a National Historical Park and the cabin he was said to have been born in, has a fitting shrine. Be sure to read our story from there also.
Through a disaster of a mess, Thomas lost the farm at Sinking Springs and moved to the banks of Knob Creek until the lawsuit could be settled. The Knob Creek Farm is where young Abraham had his first memories. It’s where he first went to school and where he almost drowned making it a second time that America was almost without President Lincoln. Five years later, after the Sinking Springs land dispute fell through, the family moved to Indiana, and just two years after that, in 1818, Abraham’s mother Nancy died of milk poisoning. Young Abe was only eight-years-old. The park has a memorial for Nancy Hanks-Lincoln the includes a stone with a quote made by Abraham, “All I am, or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother”. You may recognize that quote from cards and plaques that usually surface around Mother’s Day. Can you relate? Be sure to leave a comment below of your thoughts about this quote. The area at the park also has a replica cabin of Beersheba Lincoln’s as well as a gift shop and even a golf course. There are several placards that tell the early story of the Lincoln’s. The park is an awesome historic site that not many people know about.
The Lincoln Homestead State Park is the location where President Lincoln’s parents met and love blossomed to give America one of its favorite, yet polarizing sons. Make sure you check out the video below made on location of the park!
-Col. Russ Carson, Jr., Founder, Family Tree Nuts