Morning journal and courier., 1891-09-11
ABE LINCOLN,s CABIN.

The Presidents Boyhood Home,
which He Helped His Father to
Build.
from the Chicago Tribune.] 49,.
Lincoln's cabin is in Chicago asand
soon as suitable building can be erected
the home in which Abraham Lincoln
passed his boyhood will be placed therein,
together with such relics of the martyr
president as can be procured, and exhibit
fractions in Chicago.
Several months ago the existence of a
cabin built by Abraham Lincoln and his
father became known to party of Chica-
go gentlemen, and they determined to Sc
cure the interesting relic. In the latter
part of June Mrs. Norah Gridley was sent
to Coles county and visited the cabin,
which was at the time occupied, and had
for years been the home of John j. Hall,
a relative of the late president. The Halls
were well-to- d. and had become attached
to the place, so long their home, but they
were prevailed upon to part with it.
The cabin became the property of the
Abraham Lincoln association. comprising
George M. Bogue, E. F. Getchell, Willard
F. Block, Jason 81. Shepard, William B.
Petit, F. R. Southpayd, John Barton
Payne, Norah Gridley and Nelson Stelle.
With the property deed to the land on
which it stood and the one-half acre gar
den of Grandma Lincoln passed into the
possession of the association. The pur-
chasers have secured every link in the
chain of title, from the patent of the gov
eminent to Thomas Lincoln to the deed of
conveyance to the association. Among
them is deed in Abraham Lincoln's hand
writing and tho only known document in
existence to which the joint signatures of
Abraham and Mary Lincoln are attached.
The cabin was built in 1881, and is con-
structed of oak logs cut by Abraham and
his father in the river bottoms and hauled
to the spot where the cabin was erected.
1t contained one room and a loft, and is
sixteen feet in length by eighteen feet in
depth and nineteen feet high. In 1885 an
addition of the same dimensions was
built of quaking aspen with small stor-
age-room of four feet in width between,
| making the entire structure thirty-six feet
in length. Shortly after building the ad
dition young Abe left home, but made it 8
duty to visit his parents twice year,
walking to the homestead that he might
save the expense of livery bills. Then he
would walk six miles from the cabin to the
| county seat and pay the interest on money
borrowed from the school funds by his
| father to enter his land.
His last visit to the old home was in De-
| cember, 1860, after his election to the pres
| idency. He cut log, split it and carved
| his fathers name upon the two boards,
which he placed at the head and foot Of
Thomas Lincoln's grave in the Gortor
cemetery. These humble monuments ar.
| gone, and the resting place of the grea
presidents father is now marked by
handsome granite monument. 1t was OF
this occasion that his stepmother, to whom
Abraham was devotedly attached. said
"They'n kill you, my boy, and won't Sc,
| you again" She never did
| The ground on which the cabin stood
will be encircled by neat fence and tn
spot memorialized by monument. Thu
association will endeavor to preserve tn
garden, with its wealth of sage and holly
hooks, to remind mankind of the humble
| origin of great man.