The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1909-02-12

MEMORIAL
Continued from First Page.)

HOdgenville, which IS near tine geo.
graphical center of the State of Ken
lucky and not far from the center of
population of the United States, prom
ises to become a new Mecca in Ameri-
ca and the Lincoln Farm a second
Vernon. Although Abraham Lincoln
a. other homes there is a sentiment
about his birthplace that does not
attach to any of them. He lived here
for eight years n before he lett,
knew very much of what Mark TWaln
calls the mode little farm that raised
a man. He went swimming in the
near by creek and by the light from
the huge fireplace in the little one
room cabin he learned his first les
sons.
1t was in S06 that Thomas Lincoln
brought his bride, Nancy Hanks, and
established the rude little home that
three years later was to welcome into
the world the future President. Theirs
was the rough life of pioneers; the
farm was then as it a sterile piece
of land and to make both ends meet
the older Lincoln did odd jobs of car
pentry in the vicinity besides working
the farm. The actual necessities of
life were seldom lacking, but it was
a life OF severe poverty. For some
years Thomas Lincoln served as a
county supervisor of public roads an
important position in that time. Land
owners paid their polltax with pick
and shove then, and ON road mending
days, he used to take little Abe along
both for company and for help. There
are oldtimerS here now who claim
that there is not a section of the old
pike within several miles of his home
along which Abraham Lincoln has not
played or on which he has not driven
his OK team.
At this time Kentucky offered few
allurements to a poo man and in 1914
the Lincoln's sold the little farm and
moved to Indiana. Subsequently Abb
raham Lincoln moved into Illinois and
the rest is history. But through all
the years that followed he never for
got his first home. He rarely referred
to it, but after he had become Presi-
dent of the United States he is known
to have said. when the war is over
1 would like very much to visit my old
Kentucky home. I remember it we'll"
But he never did return and h farm
and the little log cabin had a varied
history. Thomas Lincoln sold the
place to a family named Creal and It
remained in their hands for over sew
enty years. Its beautiful rock spring
was apparently its n redeeming fea-
ture and only recently a anyone
awakened to the realization that these
one hundred and ten acres had any
value beyond their yield in corn n
sorghum From time to time newspa-
pers have announced that the Lincoln
birthplace farm was to be sold but as
a matter of tact it has only changed
hands twice since Thomas Lincoln's
original transfer. A few years ago 1t
was given into the management of a
Rev. J.. W. Bingham who removed the
log cabin to the exhibition at Nash
vile, and later sold it to some exhi-
bitors who took 1t about h country
as a travelling show. But a year or
two ago the logs found in a cell
lar at College Point, long Island,
where 1t was stored and with ceremo
ny was restored to its original site.
The farm itself a been the subject
Of Mitigation for several years and eff
forts have been made by various in
tereSts to use 1T for one purpose or
another. Many schemes have been
suggested from time to time but none
of them have borne any large nation
al Significance. Finally in 1905 it vas
advertised that on August % the
Lincoln farm was to be sold between
the hours of ten and two from the
court house steps at public out-cry
and II the highest bidder"
Mr.. Robert j. Collier. of New York
City, had been negotiating for The
property and upon the appearance Of
this notice he despatched Mr.. Richard
Lloyd Jones to Hodgenvi1le with in
s~tructions to buy the place, df posi-
BILE.
The day set for the bidding was on
Monday and as the laws forbade Sum