ABRAHAM LINCOLN BIRTHPLACE, A BRIEF HISTORY

The little piece of land was so important to President Abraham Lincoln’s father, that he spent years fighting for it. That little piece of land was Sinking Springs Farm, which is now the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Park, in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. In December of 1808, the young family of Thomas Lincoln, Nancy Hanks Lincoln and baby Sarah Lincoln, were so excited when they purchased the farm that they had always wanted. They purchased 300 acres for only $200. That’s 67 cents an acre, imagine that today! 

Just two months later, on 12 February 1809, Nancy gave birth to a bouncing baby boy, Abraham Lincoln. We know how big of a man he was, wonder how big of a baby he was? The couple named him after Thomas’ father, Captain Abraham Lincoln, a Revolutionary War veteran, who in 1786, had been killed by Native Americans while working in the fields with his three sons. During the same incident, Thomas, who was only eight years old, came within a second of being killed, if not for the expert rifle shot from his oldest brother Mordecai that dropped the Indian dead. Had Mordecai missed or 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 for a second. One missed shot and Abraham Lincoln would have never existed.

Would we have had a Civil War at all? Would the North have allowed the South to break off for good? Would a different president punish the South even more harshly? There are varying thoughts and opinions about Abraham Lincoln in different circles, he is a polarizing figure for sure; but one thing is for sure, if Mordecai Lincoln missed his shot, you can bet that American history would definitely have been different. It’s amazing what one moment in time can have on the future of millions. 

Thomas and Nancy quickly got to work establishing their home place but in 1811, Thomas got into a land dispute and sadly lost the farm. Thomas was determined to fight the dispute in court and he knew it would take years, so for the time being he rented a farm at Knob Creek which is about 10 miles from Sinking Springs Farm. Baby Abraham only lived at Sinking Springs Farm for about two and a half years and he didn’t have any memories of it, but he did at the Knob Creek home place. Thomas was a skilled carpenter and a farmer and he often traveled the Western Bluegrass Region of Kentucky building mills and other establishments, many of which still stand today. The family rented at Knob Creek until 1816, when the land dispute was finally settled, sadly, not in their favor. At this time, Thomas was frustrated and like so many other second-generation Kentuckians, packed up and moved the family to Indiana where there was cheaper land, less population, and more opportunities. 

Today at the park stands the Lincoln birth cabin, or some say it is the cabin that was made from the logs of the original cabin that Lincoln was born in. The cabin has a history of its own. Like so many historical relics, there is a dispute if it is the correct cabin or the correct logs. In 1897, it was taken to Nashville to be displayed at the Tennessee Centennial, alongside the birth cabin of Jefferson Davis, to show the humble beginnings of both men. 

It later was taken to Buffalo, New York to be displayed at the Pan American Exposition in 1901. The logs were stored in a New York mansions basement, until 1909 when they were moved back to the cabin’s current home in Kentucky.  It now has a magnificent shrine built over it despite the fact that they had to downsize the cabin a little bit to fit it inside. The shire was built between 1909-1911. On Lincoln’s 100th birthday, 12 February 1909, President Theodore Roosevelt was present to lay the cornerstone for the memorial. In 1911, President Taft came to dedicate it. It was the very first monument built to Abraham Lincoln. 

The park also has a helpful visitor center and a museum dedicated to the Lincoln family. They even have the Lincoln family Bible displayed! Another thing to see is the sinking spring, which is what the area is known for. It was clearly marked on early maps and was once used as a navigation reference point.

Lincoln is a polarizing figure both in his lifetime and to this day, but no one can deny the great impact he had on to our country that still resonates today. What is your take about President Abraham Lincoln? Leave us a comment below and let us know. Also, check out our video from the location in the video below.

-Col. Russ Carson, Jr, Founder, Family Tree Nuts