Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site
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The reconstructed Lincoln family cabin
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 Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site
Location in Illinois
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Illinois |
| County | Coles |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Website | http://www.lincolnlogcabin.org/ |
The Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site is a large history park covering about 86 acres. It is located near Lerna, about eight miles (13 km) south of Charleston, Illinois. The main attraction is a copy of the log cabin where Thomas Lincoln, the father of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, lived.
Abraham Lincoln never lived here himself. He visited sometimes and helped his family financially. After his father died in 1851, Abraham owned the farm and took care of his stepmother, Sarah Bush Lincoln. The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency runs this historic farm.
Contents
The Lincoln Family's Journey
Abraham Lincoln's mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, passed away in 1818. This happened while the family lived in a log cabin in southern Indiana. In 1819, Lincoln's father, Thomas Lincoln, married Sarah Johnston. She was a widow from Elizabethtown, Kentucky.
Moving to Illinois
In 1830, Thomas and Sarah moved west from Indiana to Central Illinois. They followed their daughter, son-in-law, and other family members. Abraham, even though he was an adult, chose to go with his father and stepmother.
After a very difficult winter in 1830–1831 near Decatur, young Abraham left his family. He wanted to start his own life and find success in Sangamon County. Thomas and Sarah eventually settled in Coles County.
Building a New Home
After trying to live on three different farms, Thomas bought a small piece of land in 1840. This land was near the Embarras River. It was part of an area called Goosenest Prairie, which is now in Pleasant Grove Township.
Soon after buying the land, Thomas and Sarah built their final home. It was a "saddlebag" style log cabin. It had two main rooms and extra space in a loft or attic, reached by a ladder. By 1845, up to 18 family members lived in the cabin. This kind of extended family living was common in Appalachia.
Abraham's Visits
Abraham Lincoln was becoming a successful state legislator and lawyer. He helped his parents with money. However, he did not visit them as often as he could have. He was often in Charleston for his law work, but he only visited his parents "every year or two."
Lincoln cared for his stepmother, but he was not very close to his father. He did not even visit when Thomas Lincoln was very ill in 1851.
A Final Farewell
In January 1861, Abraham Lincoln was the president-elect. He traveled by train from Springfield to Farmington. This town was a few miles north of the cabin. He went to visit his stepmother, who was now a widow.
Their meeting happened at the home of Reuben Moore. He was Sarah's son-in-law and Abraham's step-brother-in-law. They also visited Thomas Lincoln's grave at Shiloh Cemetery. Sarah was very fond of her stepson and always believed he would be successful. This was their last visit. Lincoln never returned to Illinois alive.
Sarah Bush Lincoln lived in the Goosenest Prairie cabin until she passed away in 1869. She was buried with Thomas in Shiloh Cemetery.
The Historic Site Today
In 1893, the original Thomas Lincoln log cabin was taken apart. It was then shipped to Chicago to be shown at the World's Columbian Exposition. After the Exposition, the original cabin was lost. It might have even been used as firewood.
However, many photos of the cabin had been taken. An exact copy was built using these photos and old descriptions.
What You Can See
The Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site today has three houses on two different locations:
- A copy of the Thomas Lincoln log cabin. It was finished in 1934 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. This cabin is the main part of the site. It is surrounded by a farm that looks like the one the Lincolns had. The farm has old types of crops and animals that were common back then.
- The Stephen Sargent home. This house was built in 1843 and moved to the site in 1987. It shows how successful farmers grew crops for money in the 1840s. It helps visitors compare it to the Lincoln farm.
- The Reuben Moore Home. This house was where Abraham and Sarah Bush Lincoln had their last meeting. It is about 1 mile (2 km) north of the main site.
The Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site shows what life was like in the mid-1840s. This was when many members of the Lincoln family lived there. The main site also has cornfields, gardens, small orchards, livestock, and other farm buildings from that time. The crops and animals are all old, traditional types. Many special activities happen during the yearly Fall Harvest Frolic.
Site Recognition
Due to budget cuts, the state of Illinois temporarily closed the site from December 2008 to April 2009. On January 22, 2014, part of the site was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This was because of its importance as a historical archaeological site, not because of the current buildings or its direct link to Lincoln.
