The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-02-12
URGES LINCOLN
FARM Be MADE !
APUBLIC PARK.
DR.. Barton Makes Plea That Cen.
seer1ted Soil Re Preserved hy
Indiana for the People.
BIZ MILLIANE. BARTON.

Lincoln lovers all over the world
will rejoice in the decision Of Gov
ernor Warren T. McCray that the
Lincoln highway is to be construct
ed by ". y.of Lincoln City.
The road will reach every one CT
the places of chief interest. and for
nearly two, miles it will lie along
the habitual trail Of the young Lin
coin as he trudged back and forth
to and from the postofiice at Gen.
tryville.
There remains one good thing for
The state Of Indiana to do, and that
is to purchase the remainder Of the
land which was cleared BY Thomas
and Abraham Lincoln and add Il to
the Nancy Hanks Lincoln park.
This can be accomplished at triiling
cost.
Thomas Lincoln chose a beautf-
ful spot for the burial of his wife.
Nancy Hanks Lincoln, the mother
OF Abraham Lincoln. The grave il
on the rounded summit OF a wood
ed hill. visible two miles down the
Lincoln Home Trail. There still
remain trees whose age antedates
the arrival Of tn, white man.
Portion Now Park.
The park is owned by the stata
OF Indiana, and contains 16h acres.
The original half acre-God's half
acre-had already been decided to
the public as a place of burial be-
fore Indiana made the park named
for Lincoln's mother.
The park il we'll kept. The Gus
todian, Noah Spurlock. is devoted
to his work. The present appropri-
alton for the upkeep u $1,000 q
year, which includes the salary of
the custodian. SIS a month.
Two acres which are especially
lie near the entrance.
They disigure the approach. They
could be bought for $3.50, including.
an old shack which would prob
ably be removed.
This should be bought without a
days delay. The new highway will
greatly multiply the number of
tourists visiting the spot. There
should be more parking space, and
a dignified approach to the park
and its graves.
But far better thing would be
TO buy the entire tract Of cleared
land that was included in the orig,
lnal Lincoln farm and improved 81,
Thomas and Abraham Lincoln.
This can be done at very small
cost. The land is not highly i'm
1t is cut into town lots,
and only one OF them. the school
lot. has an expensive building. That
building and its playground, should
'emain just as they are.
Nothing could be more appropri-i
tie than that the Lincoln City
'chOol should be located, as it is.
lpon the Lincoln farm.
But the other buildings are few
nd cheap. They ought to be pur-
hased and removed, and the whole /.
ract simply but effectively treated.
lot much needs to be done to it.
There should be some planting Of
ative trees, oaks and sycamores,
nd there should be open areas
eeded md in condition for the use
4 parties.
No one in Lincoln City, so far as
could learn, holds any Land at
Ugh prices for the purpose of SELL
ng it to the state.
The people there resident, MANY
II them descendants OF the original
antilles, hold the name of Lincoln
n high honor, and would he will
ng to sell their holdings at their
ost, with the privilege of remov-
ng their small buildings. o..
The whole cost would not exceed
5000. The sum is mere trifie.
The land to be purchased should
egin at the school grounds, and
mould include, as l judge, about
orty additional acres. There are
bout eight small buildings, no one
4 which can have cost over $500.
lost OF this land is unimproved.
t lies high, and while not first
lass farming land, is admirably
'dapted to park purposes.
Consecrated Soil.
Here. from the time he was Z
Until he was 81, Abraham Lincoln
oiled with the AK and pillow and
'cythe. This far. from the fall of
1916, till the first day of March.
1880, vas his home. Thare his
mother died. Oct. 5, 1918.
There is not an acre Of this farm
hat is not consecrated by his toll.
It's soil is consecrated by the tears
which he shed at the grave OF his
Let the state of Indiana acquire
t: put in some old-fashioned we'll
sweeps at the oldest wells; plant,
inder proper direction, grass and
timber with alternating areas of
light and shade; gather up and pre-
serve the few local Trustworthy
concerning special spots
II interest, and hand down TO pos
.erity d Lincoln farm in Indiana
with that in Kentucky
,r with the New Salem reservation
N Illinois.
The Indiana legislature Is now In
session. 1t Is hardly conceivabla
that any member would vote
against a bill for the purchase of
this property. II will receive the
of Lincoln lovers now