The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1921-11-15
LINCOLN AND FAMILY
HARDSHELL BAPTlSTS
EARLY RECORDS ESTABLISH
ING THIS FACT HAVE BEEN
FOUND IN KENTUCKY.

LINCOLN CITY, Ind.-Rolling
back the mists OF century and OF
fering the Unconstitutional records OF
Little Pigeon Baptist church near here
are the missing link OF Abraham Lin
coins religion. Thomas b. McGregor,
assistant attorney general OF the state
OF Kentucky. has given 10 an appre-
ciative America substantial evidence
that Abraham Lincoln was IN the sim
pie faith OF the "hard-shelled' Baptist
church.
Mystery Of His Religion.
Much OF the mystery OF Lincoln's
religion. and that OF his parents, Tor
over half century a mOOted question,
has been evaporated by the findings OF
Mr.. McGregor in the little old deer
skin book OF Little Pigeon church.
There is no record OF Abraham Lin
coins affiliation with any church de
nomination. but Mr. McGregOrs story
OF Thomas Lincoln, moderator and
pillar OF the little Baptist church,
proves conclusively, Mr. McGregor
saws, that the Lincoln family were
Baptists.
deserve a fairer estimate than has
been allotted them by most OF the
bioeraphers OF Lincoln said Mr.. Nc
Gregor, and the story, as told by
the records that are still to be found
in the archives of Little Pigeon
church. near Lincoln City, Spendet
county, Indiana, OF the devotion paid
bv the parents of Lincoln to Him
who guided the lad OF Pigeon Creek
in the 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 ancestral stock,
owned farm, domestic animals tools
and a family Bible; neighborly, sacri
ficing and active church-going mem
bers.
Church Founded 1916.
Pigeon Creek church was founded
on Tune g. 1910, the year that Thorn
as Lincoln and his family moved from
Kentucky and settled on Little Pigeon
creek in what was then Warrick coun-
tv, Indiana Territory 1t was then, as
now the chief church in that vicinity
When the meeting house was built Its
site was selected about & M wr--
OF Thomas Lincoln's home, the ...;--,.
building today occupying r"7c.. -@.-
the same place When LiGCo.a'S ".o.'.-
er died she was buried between So
home and the church, the -~o-C.'~~.-
not having been at that time start. 2.
the church, but when LincOln's sistc~,
Sarah Grisbv. died in 1923, she was
buried at the church burying ground,
where her grave is yet to be seen,
marked by a rough stone.
Has Only Two Books.
This church with its continuous eN-
istence since 1916, has only two books
containing its records and minutes;
the first covering the period from
1916 to 1870 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 Pigeon creek, and this book
with its deer skin cover, the hair still
remaining. not only reveals in its crude
historic way the true religion OF LIN
coins parents, but gives us the best
insight yet found to his own religious
views.
Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks
were married by a Methodist minister
by the name OF Jesse Head, but short
II afterward they were united with
one OF the churches OF the Baptist
Licking Locust Association OF Regular
Baptist churches in Kentucky, and
when Nancy Lincoln died in Indiana
Abraham, by his own efforts, had
their Kentucky pastor, Elder David
Flkins, come TO their wilderness home
and preach his mothers funeral
Pillar of Church.
"After Thomas Lincoln had mar
RED Sally Bush Johnston he sent back
to Kentucky and obtained his let
ter Of fellowship and as the minutes
on June /, 1928 show, he united with
the Pigeon Creek church by this let
ter and his wife by experience. From