The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-09-08
Farm
Now Most
Historical
Nearly Three Thousand Contributions
Aided in Erecting the
b Monument

In 1916 the Iarm where Abraham
Lincoln was born was about to be sold
and the idea of buying and preserving
the entire tract for the sake Of the
nation was taken up by Robert ]. Col
lier, of New York. The purchase was
made for the sum of $3,6600-and the
hunt for the original cabin that was
the birthplace of the beloved man was
then made.
This cabin had been previously
bought and shown about the country
and had been abandoned. When
found it was rebuilt precisely accord.
ing to original lines-and re-estab-
lished upon it's original site.
Soon afterward the Lincoln Farm
Association was organized and title to
the cabin and farm was turned over
to that organization by Mr.. Collier.
Joseph w. Folk, then governor of
Missouri, was president of the organi-
cation; Robert Collier, vice president
and chairman of the executive commit
tee; Clarence H. Mackay, treasurer,
and Richard Lloyd Jones, secretary.
Immediately upon the formation of
the association began a campaign for
funds with which to build Lincoln
Memorial Hall over the original site
of the Lincoln cabin.
The response came quickly from all
sections of the country, and from no
section more quickly or readily than
from men and women of the south
who view with the citizens of other
parts of the United States in the de.
sire to pay tribute to the memory of
Abraham Lincoln.
! The corner stone of the memorial
hall was laid by Theodore Roosevelt,
February IL, 1909, on the hundredth
Anniversary of the birth of the "Great
Emancipator." On November 9, 1911,
lit was formally dedicated by President
William H. Taft. Monday it became
the property of the whole American
people.
To it's construction more than 270,.
900 persons contributed amount rang.
ing from twenty-five cents to $4,000
which totalled approximately $383,00
The balance from this fund after pay
ing for the construction of the memo
rial hall and for the preliminary work
of turning the farm into great pub
lie park has been turned over as an en-
dowment fund for the maintenance OF
tn building and grounds.
The hall is beautiful granite build
ing standing at the top of small hill
tilt faces toward big spring at the
bottom Of the slope, which proved
the determining factor in the choice
of Thomas Lincoln, ADRIAN Lincoln's
father, when he was casting about
! for site upon which to build his
home.
Rising from the bottom to the top
Of this slope, is long flight of wide
granite steps, flanked on either side
by row of poplar trees together with
"a box hedge. A box hedge also sur.
rounds a small plaza at the foot of the
steps-in the middle of which is tall
flag pole from which the stars and
stripes will always wave.
J Inside the big granite, building the
Lincoln cabin stands upon the spot
on which Thomas Lincoln erected it
40 years ago. 1t is surrounded by a
heavy bronze chain for no one is to
be permitted to enter it's portals. Up
on the interior walls of the memorial
hall is carved Lincolns Gettysburg
address, and record of the Lincoln
ancestry.
Over the entrance to the building
is the following inscription:
Here over the log cabin in which
Abraham Lincoln was born, destined
to preserve the union and free the
slave, grateful people have dedicated
this memorial to unity, peace and
brotherhood among these states"