The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1921-04-28


He arrived at New Salem in 1881 "a stranger
frendless. uneducated penniless boy, working
flatbOat for $40 month"; he himself put it.
In 1897 be left New Salem take up his law prac-
tice IN Springfield.
In those mOmentous six years he had trans
formed himself from ignorant and uncouth
youth of twenty-five to a of acknowledged
promise and ability, with more than local popu-
larity and ambition that spurred him to travel.
far.
Those six years were crowded years 1t was ar
New Salem that Lincoln earned his nickname OF
Honest Abe'-and incidentally fastened upon
himself burden of debt which he was never able
fully to wipe out until his fortieth year after his
election to congress in 1S49.
II was at New Salem that he was clerk and
storekeeper; that he studied grammar and BLACK
stone; that he was a captain in the Black Hawk
war, that he was deputy surveyor, that he YVES
postmaster, that he defeated and then elected
for the legislature. And 1t at New Salem that
ne loved and wooed and lost Ann Rutledge over
whose death he nearly lost his reason from grief
New Salem was founded in 1928 Soon after
Lincoln went TO Springfield the little town began
10 decline Its people left for more accessible
places BY 1913 New Salem had been abandoned.
Today. under the auspices of the Old Salem lin
coin League, an organization formed in 1917
Honest Abe's" town Is being restored in fac
smile 1t will be in every possible detail like the
New Salem which he knew. Old maps old prints
old deeds-every record obtainable-have been
consulted to make the village in exact renro-
duction of the old. The only building is the
the property. The cost of rebuilding is being met
by popular subscription. The work will be done
some time this summer, 1t IS expected.
Old Salem State Park
Old Salem State park will be New Salems new
name Its purpose is to preserve for pOsterity the
environment and atmosphere that helped make
Lincoln the
AS to the photographs here reproduced: The
portrait OF Honest Abe" is of the earliest
photographs he had taken and gives the best idea
OF his appearance young man. The numbered
plan is from the architects working model.
New Salem, first called Cameron's Mill was on
the Sangamon river (then spelled Sangamo and
pronounced Sangamaw). 20 miles northwest OF
Springfield. In those days New Salem was in
Sangamon county. with Springfield the county
seat. Springfield itself was still a mere village
having a population of 1000, or perhaps LOO
The capital OF the state yet at Vandalia and
waiting for the parliamentary tact OF Abraham
Lincoln and the "long nine to take it to Spring
field.
The historian of the restoration project SAYS
that the first settlers of New Salem were John NJ
Cameron and his uncle James Rutledge, who en-
tered their claims on July %. 1928. Here they
| erected their grist and mills, both housed
in structure built out into the Sangamon river
that fringed the town site. New Salem grew up
around this mill.
Sediments existed already at Clary's Grove at
place now called Athens, at Sugar Grove and at
Indian Point all within twelve miles Of
New Salem With q mill to attract these settlers
the opportunity for business at the settlement