The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-08-30
STORIES OF OUR SOUTHLAND.
Nancy Hanks, the Mother of Abra.
ham Lincoln.

western North Carolina, ''the Land
of the Sky" is the Chimney Rock re-
gion at the foet- of Old Bald of earth
quake fame, that created such SEN
sasioh Some 25 years ago by its shak.
ing and quavering, the commissions
tearing great rocks from its sides and
forming cave in the solid granite
For several years 7 have spent my
summer vacation there
Some years ago I was. touring
through that region in a hack with
C6l. Irwin, a prominent lawyer OF
Rutherfordton, and who knew every
cattle path and mountaineer. When
opposite a log cabin on the roadside
with stick and dirt chimney, Col. Er-
win told our driver to halt and gave
"Halloaw On an old man appear
ing at the door Erwin said, Come
out here, HanksT'
There leisurely came to the hack
a very tall, rugged featured typical
mountaineer, barefooted and in his
shirt sleeves, apparently Is or 80
years old, but erect and in perfect
condition. His face and every fea-
ture were familiar to me, but 1 could
not call to mind where l had seen
him. -
E..Ever seen him before:'' asked
Col. Erwin,
T replied that I sure had and his
face was as familiar as pig tracks.
II never seed you before that | can
call to mind, stranger" replied the
old fellow, as he leaned against the
hack and took a good look at me,
'sand 'taiint likely I'd forgit ez home
" q face as your'n,'' he added, with
4 good natured grin.
aMay have seen you in Spartan
burg" / suggested.
<1t.sNever wuz thar in my life-al-
ways stay right arou' here. l once
went to Asheville, but that wuz 'er
long time ergo" he replied.
ever seen Abraham Lincoln!"
asked Col. Erwin.
IT replied that I had not but had
seen his pictures, "and," continued
chat old rooster there is the express
image of Lincoln's picture"
@aaI never seed Abe Lincoln, either"
repfied Hanks. ssMe and him are
sorter kin. Ny grandmother and
Nancy, his ma wur sisters. They tell
me Lincoln got ter be big man."
I turned to Col. Erwin and asked
him where did he get that stuff he
was trying to feed me on.
The colonel assured me that there
was no joke, and the old niountaineer
before us was undeniably a great
first cousin TO Abraham Lincoln, and
the resemblance between the two
men was 80 marked as to be noticed
at a glance. He then went on to ex-
plain that Nancy Hanks, the mother
Of Abraham Lincoln, was born and
raised to young womanhood in Ruth
erford county, North Carolina, When
her family sent her to some relatives
in Kentucky, where she met and
,,1$Sa,rr;aJ ;nonJr
= af hear'n my grandmother say
when on her death bed," put in
Hanks, -'".that the only thing she had
TO regret wuz making her pap drive
her sister Nancy off,"
COZ Erwin then gave some inter-
esting information about Nancy
Hanks, the mother of Abraham Lin
coin; She was born in Rutherford
county, North Carolina, so this state
can claim half interest in President
Lincoln. The Hanks were very poor
people, but respected for their hon
esty and worth.
The history Of this family is known
To- all the residents of Rutherford
county, being handed down from
father to son. The spot where the
home of the parents of Nancy stood
is pointed out, and her kinspeople
are scattered all over that section.
They are plain mountaineers, 100 per
cent. American.
Nancy was fine sample of a
healthy mountain lass, large in size
and remarkably good looking. In
fact, she was represented as the
handsomest young woman in the
Chimney Rock section. The Hanks
were poor but ambitious, and they
gave Nancy a good rural school edu-
cation. She fitted herself to teach
the three months school then found
throughout the mountain settlements,
and was offered and accepted a
snboof in Macon county, North Car