Thomas and Nancy Lincoln along with their children, Sarah and Abraham, moved to Indiana from Kentucky in 1816. Abraham was seven years old and this family farm was where he spent the next fourteen years. This is where his mother died from “milk sickness” and where, after a period of mourning, his father brought Sarah Bush and her three children to join the family. Abe, who was strong and tall for his age, helped his father clear the land, build fences, plant, tend crops, and care for livestock when he would rather have been reading books. He left home at 21 and held a series of jobs before being granted a license to practice law when he was 27 – pretty good for someone who barely went to school as a kid.
The memorial has a small museum with a short video. A trail leads to a reconstructed log house and farmyard on part of the original Lincoln farm property. Costumed interpreters answer questions and demonstrate common activities.
The visitor center is accessible but seeing all of it involves using three separate entrances. Most of the exhibits are in the center of the building so follow the sidewalk to the second door to access that section. The trail to the farm is hard packed dirt and stone with some steep hills so most wheelchair users will need assistance. Walk/roll the loop clockwise for a longer but more gradual uphill climb. To cut the walk down a bit drive to the farm parking lot. The log house is accessible but the rest of the farm is not due to rough and hilly ground.
The parking lot has long pull-in RV/bus spaces. Memorial 38.1135, -86.99588
Very cool place to visit. I'd never heard of "milk sickness," so thanks for highlighting it. I looked it up and it sounded like a terrible way to go. Jimmy and I would like to visit this museum someday.
ReplyDeleteIt's a very pretty area. Seems like it would have been a wonderful place to spend a childhood, even with all of the work and hard times.
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