The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-11-01

Lincoln City, Ind. Nov. 1.-Rolling
 back the mists of @ century and offer ing the deer-skin-bound records of
 Little Pigeon Baptist church near
 here as the missing link of Abraham
 Inooln's religion, Thomas 5. Mc-
 Gregor, assistant attorney general or the state of Kentucky, has given to an appreciative America substantial evidence that Abraham Lincoln was
 reared in the simple faith of the | "hard rd-she1led" Baptist church. Much of the mystery of Lincoln's
 religion, and that of his parents Tor over a half century 0 mooted ques-
 tion. has been evaporated by the find,
 inss of Mir. McGregor in the little old
 deer-skin book of Little Pigeon church.
 coln's utilization with any church de-
 nomination, but MT. McGregor's story
 of Thomas Lincoln, moderator and
 pillar of the little Baptist church proves conclusively MT. McGregor says. that the Lincoln family were Baptists.
 deserve a fairer estimate than has
 been allotted them by most Of the biographers of Ilncoln," said MT.
 McGregor, land thes tory, as told by
 in the archives of Little Pigeon | church, near Lincoln City, spencer
 county, Indiana, of the devotion paid
 by the parents of Lincoln to Him who | hour of the nations travail, goes far | to give to them their true estimate. | In fact they were well to do pioneers
 of their day of sturdy do-, anGcessral antic ar3l
 malls, tools and a family Bible; neigh
 borly sacrificing and active church. | going members.
 l "Pigeon Creek church was founded
 on June 8, 1s16, the year that Thom- | as Lincoln and his family moved from
 Kentucky aand settled on Little Pig 1 con Creek in what was then Warr1ck
 county. Indiana Territory. It was | then. as now. the chief church in that | vicinity. When the meeting house
 was built, its site was selected about
 home, the church building today. oc-
 cupying practically the same place
 When Lincolns mother died she was I buried between their home and the
 been at that time started at the | church, but when Iincoln's sister, 1 Sarah Grisby, died in 1928, she was
 buried at the church burying ground
 marked by 0 rough stone.
 "This church. with its continuous 1 existence since ISIS, has only two
 books containing it's records and min, II utes; the first covering the period Il from 1S16 to 1s40, 1t Is in this book | that we find Abraham Lincoln's fla ther, stepmother and sister were ac-
 tive members of the hard-shell Bap-
 tist church of Pigeon Creek, and this
 book with its deer skin cover, the
 hair still remaining. not only reveals
 in it's crude historic way the true re-
 ligion of Ldncoin's parents. but gives II us the best insight yet found to his own religious views.
 Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks
 were married by Methodist minis ter by the name or Jesse Head, but . shortly afterward they were united with one of the churches of the >Bap- tist Idel<ing-Looust Assoeiation of IQnr 1ToW pR va4f ahHrfheE lucky. and when Nancy Idneoln died in Indiana, Abraham. by his own ef- forts. had their Kentucky pastor M El- der David Eikins, come to their will } derness home and preach his mothers funeral,
 After Thomas Lincoln had mar. to his Kentucky church and obtained 5 minutes ea Juna l. 1893. show. he
 5ntsd with the 5iss9n ssi Gsess e speri s moved to TNincis fn 1890, their names a appear frequently in the minutes o 5 the church proeaedigs. TheneRE. beint s one of tho pillars of the church, act ing as moderator, on committees tt ! investigate the conduct of brsthrer s and sisters. and messenger to. asaae1a Creek to her sister ehureheg. { Tha historic nlLnute which reeerd the affiiiatien of Thomas Liheoin ant
 his wife with this little pioneer H church follows:
 } "June the 7tii. 1sas.
 ''The church iitst and after praye proee edea to business.
 "1at fnauiFed for fellowship. "and Invited members of siste s churches to seats With is. "srd Opened a do1e for the Heeep Fl ton If Members.
 "4tfa Reeaived Brother Fhoma Linkhe=i hY letter:
 "7th Received BFat:iar Ieiaa Wif by Relation and Sister tzHfsheR ant Thomas Carter by EKheFance-" 4' Thomas fiaeafR wss nat in sue1 3 poor oirsAlnstanees bat that he al