Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-03-20
AN OLD LOG CABIN.
The Humble Homc In which Lincoln
First saw tie Light.

The Humble Home In which Lincoln
First saw TIE Light.
Twelve years = the cabin in
which Lincoln was BON was torn
down, and tho logs were hauled to
an adjoining farm ard used in the
construction of another house The
old farm had practically been aban-
doned, and nearly al the people III
the neighborhood had quite forgot
ten, second time within Il decade
since the death of Lincoln, that he
was born on tho Lincoln Spring
farm, as the place has always been
called. Tho Lincoln birthplace is 81
miles southeast OF Louisville. 1t can
be reached from Louisville by going
to Elizabethtown, in Hardin county,
a distance of AZ miles, and then TAX
ing another road from Elizabeth
town to HOdgCnsville, Il ride of IL
miles. The Eincoln Spring farm is
three miles from this quaint old
town, on Nolin's creek, directly on
the public road leading from Hodg-
onsville TO Buffalo, a village six mil S
10 the east. l! is pleasant 90 min
utes' drive over Il good dirt road,
through poor but interesting coun-
try.
The original Lincoln cabin had
been tom down and the materials
had leen moved away, as stated, by
n man named Tom davenport, who
used the logs in his own house.
Mr.. A. w. Bennett, a New York
gentleman, not long ago bought the
Davenport house, recovered the logs,
and after much difficulty restored
the cabin exactly as it was origi-
nally, usirg Tho very same timbers,
door, WINDOW and frames. 1t occu-
pies TIE fOl Nor site and IS in much
the same condition as it was when
the Line olns left it. The cabin is 19
feet lorg, rs feet wide and about IL
feet high, counting from the floor
to the lidgeLole. There is only one
door and one window-thel latter an
opening 70 inches square.
A large open fireplace, built in
the most primitive way, occupies
nearly the whole of one end of the
cabin. The chimney is made of
small logs, placed together just as
log houses are built. Inside of it
fiat stones placed on the ground
made the hearth and wide fiat
stones placed against the logs kept
the fire within bounds and protect,
ed the wooden chimney. The inside,
from the hearthstones to the top Of
the chimney, was thick]y daubed
with clay. The chimney reaches on
ly half way to the roof of the house
and is rounded off with small sticks.
This simple fireplace furnished most
of the light, all of the heat ana the
sole meann for cooking the meals
for the family.
The calm did not have even u
loft, OF second story, as havo most
calins. TWAS built by Thomas Lin
coin, father of the president, some
time about SOl or 1906 and was en-
tirely constructed with an ak and
saw, the simple tools of tho pio-
neers. TIE cjarloa1d II of was an
choIcd down by small logs laid
lengthwise on top of the sof oak
boards. There were no nails or hard
ware. The door hinges were of wood,
and the Ianelcss windows had az
inside board shutter held in place
by rawhide thongs. There were
chinks and mud between the logs,
and the puncheOn floor was pegged
down. 1t is probable that after Abra.
ham Lincoln's grandfather was kill
ed by the Indians at Long Run meet
ing house, in Jefferson county, KY,
the family went farther into the
forest and took up a section OF land
in Larne, then part of Hardin
county. Later, to better his fortune,
Thomas Lincoln left this farm ON
Nolin's creek and settled on Knob
creek, a dozen miles from Hodgens-
vile, and from there Ee went TO In
diana and later to Illinois. George
III. Yenowine in st. Nicholas.