The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1921-09-01
STORIES OF OUR SOUTHLAND.
Nancy Hanks the Mother of Abraham
Lincoln.
(By 7. Larry Gantt.D

or the Sky" is the Chimney Rocky re-
gion at the foot of Old Bald of earth
quake fame. that created such a SEN
sation some 25 years ago by it's shak-
ing and quivering. the convulsions
tearing great rocks from its sides and
forming a cave in the solid granite
For severarl years l have spent my
summer vacation there
! Some years ago was touring
through that region in a hack with
Col. Erwin, prominent lawyer OF
Rutherfordton, and who knew every
cattle path and mountaineer. When
opposite log cabin on the roadside,
with stick and dirt chimney, Col Err
win told our driver 10 halt and gave
"Halloa!" On an old man appear
ing at the door Erwin said, Come
out here, Hanks,"
There leisurely came to the hack
very tall, rugged featured typical
mountaineer. barefooted and in his
shirt sleeves. apparently rs or so
years old, but erect and in perfect
CONDITION. His face and every fea-
ture were familiar to me. but | could
not call to mind where l had seen
him.
Ever seen him before?" asked
CCi EUWln.
l replied that l sure had and his
race was as familiar as pig tracks
) Il never seed you be fore that
can call to mind, stranger" replied
the old fellow, as he leaned against
the hack and took a good look at me.
and 'taint likely I'd forget ez home
ly face as your'n," he added with
Il good natured grin
burg" l suggested.
Never wuz thar in my life al
ways stay right aroun' here. / once
went to Asheville, but that wuz 'er
long time ergo" he replied.
Ever seen Abraham Lincoln ."
asked Col. Erwin
| replied that / had not but had
seen his pictures, and" continued.
that old rooster there is the express
image of Lincolns picture"
Il never seed Abe Lincoln. either"
replled Hanks. Me and him are
sorter kim My grandmother and
Nancy, his ma, wur sisters. They tell
me Lincoln got ter be a big man"
/ turned TO Col. Erwin and asked
him where did he get that stuff he
was trying to feed me on.
was no joke. and the old mountaineer
before us was undeniably a great
first cousin to Abraham Lincoln. and
the resemblance, between the two
men was so marked as to be noticed
! at 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
her family sent her TO some relatives
in Kentucky. where she met and
married Lincoln
Il hear'n my grandmother say
when on her death bed" put in
Hanks. that the only thing she had
10 regret wuZ making her pap drive
her sister Nancy off"
= Col. Edwin 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 We're 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
rs 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
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
school in Macon county. North Car
olina. not far from her home.
Mr.. w. r. Dillingham; of Spartan
burg tells me that his grandmother
lived in Macon county at the time
Nancy Hanks came there to teach l
school and knew her well She said
that Nancy was one of the finest look
ing girls she ever saw. was the. pic
ture Of health, and we'll educated for
those times. She was given a three
months school and boarded with a
family named Enslow. who were well /
to do and ranked high in the county i
But the head OF the family had a bad /
moral reputation and his wife was
very jealous of his attention to other
women. The attentions shown by
Epslow to Nancy Hanks became the
talk of the settlement. and she gave
up the school md returned 10 her
e,