The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-11-16
ANCESTORS
LINCOLN were
BAPTIST FOLK
Pigeon Greek Church in Spencer
County, Indiana, Has Records
of Admission Of Parents.

| Lincoln City. Ind.-Rolling back
the mists of century and Offering
the deer-skin- bound records of Lit
tie Pigeon Baptist church near
here as the missing link of Abra-
ham Lincoln's religion, Thomas B.
McGregor, assistant attorney gen.
eral of the state of Kentucky has
given 10 an appreciative America
substantial evidence that Abraham
Lincoln was reared in the simple
faith of the "hard-shelled" Baptist
church.
Much of the mystery of Lincoln's
religion and that of his parents, for
over a half century a mOoted ques-
ton, has been evaporated by the
findings of Mr.. McGregor in the lit
tie old deer-skin book of Little Pig
con church.
There is no record of Abraham
| Lincoln's utilization with any
church denomination, but Mr.. Nc
Gregor's story of Thomas Lincoln,
moderator and pillar of the little
Baptist church proves conclusively
Mr. McGregor says, that the Lin
coin family were Baptists.
THE parents of Abraham Lin
coin deserve a fairer estimate than
has been allotted them by most of
the biographers of Lincoln" said
Mr.. McGregor, land the story. as
told by the records that are still to
be found in the archives of Little
Pigeon church, near Lincoln City,
Spencer county, Ind, of the devo
ton paid by the parents of Lincoln
to Him who guided the lad of Pig
con Greek in the hour of the ma
tons travail. goes far to give to
them their true estimate. In fact
they were we'll to do pioneers of
their day; of sturdy ancestral
stock, owned a farm, domestic ami
mails, tools and family bible;
neighborly, sacrificing and active
church-going members.
Pigeon Creek church was found
ed on June s. 1916. the year that
( Thomas Lincoln and his family
moved from Kentucky and settled
on Little Pigeon creek in what was
then Warrick county, Indiana Ter
ritory. 1t was then, as now, the
chief church in that vicinity. When
the meeting house was built its site
was selected about a mile west of
Thomas Lincoln's home, the church
building today occupying practical
ly the same place. When Lincoln 5
mother died she was buried be-
tween their home and the church.
the graveyard not having been at
that time started at Che church.
but when Lincoln's sister, Sarah
Grisby, died in 1928. she was buried
at the church burying ground,
where her grave is yet to be seen,
marked by a rough stone.
Old Church Records.
"This church, with its continu-
Gus existence since 1916, has only
two books containing its records
and minutes, the first covering the
period from 1916 to 1910. 1t is in
this book that we find Abraham
Lincoln's father, stepmother and
sister were active members of the
hard-shell Baptist church Of Pig
con Creek, and this book with its
deer skin cover. the hair still re-
naming. not only reveals in its
crude historic way the true religion
of Lincolns parents, but gives US
the best insight yet found to his
own religious views.
Thomas Lincoln and Nancy
Hanks were married by Method
ist minister by the name of Jesse
: Head, but shortly afterward they
, were united with one of the
churches of the Baptist Licking
Locust Association of Regular Bap-
fist churches in Kentucky, and
when Nancy Lincoln died in Indi-
ana, Abraham, by his own efforts,
; had their Kentucky pastor, Elder
David Elkins, come to their wilder
ness home and preach his mother
/ funeral.
Names on Book.
After Thomas Lincoln had mar
ried Sally Bush Johnson he sent
/ back to his Kentucky church and
: obtained his letter of fellowship
= and as the minutes on June l. 1923,
show, he united with the Pigeon
: Creek church by this letter and his
) wife by experience. From that date
: until they moved to Illinois in 1880,
: their names appear frequently in
! the minutes of the church proceed
ings. Thomas being one of the pill
. lars of the church, acting as mod
orator, on committees to inveSti-
gate the conduct of brethren and
= sisters. and messenger to aSSOcia-
tions, bearing the letter of Pigeon
: Creek TO her sister churches"
The historic minute which re-
1