Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-02-13
II | Badgsasine and Lived
Ihsis Eight Years,
ls4s President harbored Great A.
lection for the Isolated Cabin-As-
sassin Probably Prevented VISTA
New MECCA.

HoDGENVlLLE, XIV, FEB. II. -
The centenary Of Abraham LIN
coins birth was observed gener-
ally throughout the United States
but nowhere did the commemotation
EXERCISES command more interest
than those held in this little town
today.
Hodgenville. which Is near the
xeographical center of the state OF
Kentucky and not far from the cen
ter of population OF the United Sates
promises 70 become a new Mecca IN
America and the Lincoln Farm sec
ond Mount Vernon. Although Abra-
ham Lincoln had other homes there
In q sentiment about his birthplace
that does not attach to any OF them
He lived here for eight years and be-
fore he left. knew very much OF wha'
Mark Twain calls the model little
farm that raised a man.
It was in 1906 that Thomas Lin
coin 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 pio-
neers; the farm was then as 1t 10
now, sterile piece OF land and 10
to make both ends meet the older
Lincoln did odd jobs o. carpentry in
the vicinity. besides working the
farm. The actual necessities Of life
were seldom lacking. but it was
life Of severe poverty. For some
years Thomas Lincoln served as
county supervisor of public roads. an
important position in that time. Land
owners paid their poll tax with pick
and shovel then. and on read mend
ing days he used to take little Abe
along. both for company and for
help There are old-timers here
now who claim that there Is not
section Of the old pike within sew
eral miles Of HIS home along which
Abraham Lincoln has not played or
on which he has not driven mis- OK
team.
At this time Kentucky offered few
allurements to q poor man. and IN
ASIA the Lincolns sold the little farm
and moved to Indiana. Subsequently
Abraham Lincoln moved into Illinois
and the rest Is history. But through
M the years that followed he never
forgot his first hcme. He rarely re-
ferred to 1t, but after he had become
President of the United States he Is
known to have said: when the war
Il over l would like very much to
visit my old Kentucky nome. re-
member 1t we'll"
1. But he never did return and the
farm and the little log cabin had a
varied history. Thomas Lincoln sold
the place to a family named Creal
aud it remained in thdr hands for
over seventy years. Its beautiful
rock spring was apparently its one
redeeming feature. and only recently
has any one awakened to the really
1tion that those one hundred and ten
acres had any value beyond their
Yield In corn and sorghum. From
time TO time newspapers have an
nounced that the Lincoln birthplace
farm was to be sold. but as a matter
sCf fact II has only changed hands
twice since Thomas .Lincoln's Origi.
s nal transfer. A few years ago II
WAS given into the management Of a
hey. ]. W. Bingham. who removed
The log cabin to the exhibition nj
NASHVILLE, and later sold 1t to some
sxhibitors, who took 1t about the
eo0ntry Is . travelling show. But 4
gear or two ago the logs we're found
< - cellar at College Point, Long H.
3and, where 1t was stored. and with
seeremony was restored to its orig
1nAl ste.
The farm itself hiss been the sub
fect Of litigation for several year:
<nod efforts have been made by ysri
<0os interests to use IL for enc pur.
f&oae CT another. Many schemes
Have been suggested from time &c
e4lne. bot none of them have borne
zony large national significance Fin
f1By In 1905. IL was advertised tina
sepa Angus, % the Lincoln Farm va
40 be sold between the hours Of tel