One Of The Best History Blogs Around

I've been blogging about all things related to Abraham Lincoln for more than two years. In that time, I've become friends with several fellow bloggers who write about their particular passion in American history. Some write about other presidents, while others write about American history in general.

One of my favorite blogs is "My Adventures In History," written by Rebecca, a history enthusiast based in Boise, Idaho. She blogs primarily about her own trips to historical sites throughout America, sharing her impressions and thoughts about her visits. This past spring, for example, she journeyed to the Eastern U.S. for the first time, visiting Antietam, the Museum Of The Confederacy, and the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield. I don't think she would mind if I post a photo of her and "Abe" posing together on a bench in Lincoln's hometown.

Every post from Rebecca is informative, entertaining, and beautifully written. Like me, she is not a trained historian. She simply has a love of history which she wants to share with her readers.

I encourage my own readers to drop by "My Adventures In History" and see for yourself why it is truly one of the finest American history blogs around.

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A New Memorial To Lincoln In Indiana

One of the nation's newest memorials to Abraham Lincoln is located in Lincoln State Park, Indiana, almost immediately across the state highway from the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial. The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Plaza was dedicated on June 12, 2009. I had the pleasure of visiting this new memorial during my trip last month to Spencer County, Indiana, where Lincoln spent 14 years living from the age of 7 until he reached adulthood at 21.

The plaza is really a bisected circle, each half representing different stages of Lincoln's life. The front part of the memorial is in honor of Lincoln's youth spent here in this area, while the part facing away from the entrance to the plaza honors his presidency. Here is an artist's sketch of the plaza, which will hopefully give you a better idea of what the layout is.

As the visitor enters the plaza, one can see various granite pedestals which contain quotes either from Lincoln himself or from those who knew him. An example of one such pedestal is shown below:

Others feature quotes from friends such as Nathaniel Grigsby (a neighbor of Lincoln's in Indiana), and Lincoln's secretary John Nicolay. One of these markers has the quote attributed to Lincoln in which he refers to his "angel mother."

The main focus of the plaza is the center semi-circular structure depicted below. Each of the stone slabs with the dates over them represent the approximate height of Lincoln in that year as he grew to a final height of 6'4" by 1830, when the Lincoln family relocated to Illinois.

The other side of this structure contains the beautiful larger-than-life bust of Lincoln along with along with the text to his two most famous speeches, The Gettysburg Address and his Second Inaugural Address.

According to the description under the bust of Lincoln, his closed left hand represents his desire to hold onto the Union, to prevent one nation from becoming two. His open right hand represents his desire to "bind up the nation's wounds" and extend "charity to all" once the Civil War was over. The photo below is a wider shot of the bust and the text of his speeches.

The artists who came up with this design are Mr. George Morrison and Mr. Will Clark. The bronze figure of Lincoln, twice life-size, weighs 400 pounds. There are over 90 pieces of stone in the memorial, quarried in Indiana. The single largest slab of stone weighs more than 3,400 pounds.

I was struck by both the beauty and uniqueness of the plaza. While it certainly lacks the majesty of other memorials to Lincoln, it is very striking and far more interesting than a simple statue would have been. The quotes featured on the pedestals around the plaza help the visitor to understand Lincoln a bit better, and to get a feel for how people felt about him. I'm pleased that the portion representing his presidency includes the text of his speeches. The plaza sits in the woods which Lincoln knew so well. It's a moving experience to visit the plaza.

Lincoln State Park is named not for Abraham, but rather his mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln. The park includes the Little Pigeon Church where the Lincoln family worshipped and the cemetery where his sister, Sarah, is buried. More about that in the next post.

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Still More Abraham Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial

I hope the readers of The Abraham Lincoln Blog will forgive me another post about The Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial. There's simply too much to cover about the park in only one or two postings. I visited the park for the first time in September and have enjoyed sharing my visit with my readers. I've previously written about the history of the park itself, about Lincoln's mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, and about the Memorial Building. This post will conclude my descriptions of the Boyhood Memorial.

Pictured above is a replica log cabin intended to give park visitors an idea of what the real Lincoln cabin was like while Abe and his family lived here from 1816-1830. The National Service Park ranger who was portraying a pioneer woman that day told me that the true cabin was just 3 square feet larger than the replica. I don't know the dimensions, but it must have been very cramped with Thomas and Nancy Lincoln plus two children living in it. And when Thomas married Sarah Bush Johnston, she brought her own three children to live with the remaining three Lincolns. The replica cabin is part of the "Living Historical Farm" which shows how the family farmed, raising crops and livestock. It occupies four of the original 160 acres of the Lincoln farm. A short trail leads the visitor to the original spring on the farm, which I've pictured below. Obviously, it's not much too look at. Since it's closed off, I don't know if the spring is still flowing.



Located just a short distance from the replica cabin and farm is the preserved location of a cabin which the family began constructing in 1829. Archaeological excavations revealed the location in 1917. The dig found some hearth stones and the original sandstone foundation of the cabin. Obviously, the logs have disappeared long ago. Today the cabin site is marked by bronze replica logs and a hearth. This is pictured below. As you can see, the site of the cabin is blocked by the stone wall so visitors don't destroy what's left.

Finally, there is the Trail Of Twelve Stones, a 1/2 mile path through the woods which displays stones taken from sites which are closely related to Abraham Lincoln. It's more interesting than one would think. Each stone is marked with a plaque, explaining where it came from and why it's associated with Lincoln. They are spaced evenly along the trail through the woods in order to hold the visitor's interest. The first stone you come to was taken from Sinking Spring farm in Hodgenville, Kentucky, Lincoln's birthplace. Others are from the foundation of a store where Lincoln worked in the area; a newspaper building where he visited; from the home of Mary Todd in Lexington, Kentucky; from The White House; from Gettysburg; from the U.S. Capitol building; and from the Peterson House in Washington, D.C. where Lincoln died. The rock and plaque pictured below tell part of Lincoln's story.

CONCLUSION

I hope my series of posts about The Lincoln Boyhood Memorial has given the reader a good understanding of both the park itself and of Lincoln's 14 years he spent living in this part of Indiana. It was my first visit here and I enjoyed it very much. I liked it far more than I do the Lincoln Birthplace Memorial, and in some ways, I enjoyed it as much as I do Springfield. To be sure, it's a low-key place. You can't visit an original home he lived in here, he wasn't born here, he's not entombed here. Yet, there's a simplicity about the park which appealed to me greatly. The forests and land which make up the park still appear much as they did nearly 200 years ago when Lincoln grew up in the area. The museum in the Memorial Building, while small, is blessedly free of the "Disney-like" displays in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield. It tells his story without sound effects, cheesy statues, and other flashy attractions, which to me are a huge distraction from the history of the real man.

In fact, while I was in the visitor center of the Memorial Building, there was a group of Cub Scouts visiting that day. Each boy, probably no older than 10, was enthusiastic and excited about his visit. They were clamoring to learn about Abraham Lincoln and how they could get their "Junior Ranger" certification from the National Park Service. Their attention was held without high-tech displays or computers or other special effects. That's a good thing, in my opinion. And I write this even though my career is in Information Technology with my degree in Computer Science. Yes, I'm "only" an amateur historian.

If you ever have a chance to visit The Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial in Lincoln City, Indiana, take the opportunity to do so. I can't recommend it highly enough.

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The Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial Building

The centerpiece of the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial in Lincoln City, Indiana is the Memorial Building. Completed in 1944, it also serves as the Visitor Center at the park. Constructed of a type of limestone, the building houses a small theater which shows a 15-20 minute interpretive film (narrated by Leonard Nimoy) depicting Lincoln's boyhood in Indiana; a small but tasteful museum about Lincoln's youth featuring artifacts; a selection of artwork and prints of Lincoln; and a small chapel and hall where frequent weddings are held.

The most impressive feature of the Memorial Building by far are the five bas-reliefs (carvings) which represent major periods of Lincoln's life. Each carving was made from a solid block of limestone measuring 8 feet tall by 13 1/2 feet wide, weighing at 10 tons! The sculptor was Mr. E.H. Daniels. I cannot describe their beauty adequately.

Kentucky Panel

The Kentucky panel shows the years that Lincoln spent living in Kentucky from the time of his birth in 1809 until 1816, when the family moved to Indiana. Lincoln is shown as a 7-year-old in the center of the carving. Others featured include his father, Thomas, (second from left); Dr. Christopher Columbus Graham (seated) a scientist who visited Lincoln's home and fascinated Abe with wonderful stories; his mother Nancy; his sister Sarah; and his first school teacher.

Indiana Panel

The Indiana panel represents the years Lincoln spent living in Indiana (1816-1830), and features him standing in the center as a 21-year-old man. The others shown include his friend Allen Gentry (second from left) whom Lincoln traveled with on a trip down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans; his father Thomas; and his step-mother Sarah Bush Lincoln.

Illinois Panel

The Illinois panel of course represents the years Lincoln spent living in Illinois, from 1830 until 1861 when he left for his inauguration as the 16th president. Here, Lincoln is shown receiving congratulations from friends upon his election the U.S. Congress in 1846. Represented from left to right are John Stuart, his first law partner; Stephen Logan, another law partner; his good friend Joshua Speed (shaking Lincoln's hand); newspaper editor Simon Francis; Mary Todd Lincoln; and Orville Browning, a Lincoln friend and future U.S. Senator.

Washington Panel

The Washington panel represents Abraham Lincoln as president during the Civil War, meeting General Ulysses S. Grant in Petersburg, Virginia near the end of the war. Grant is shown to Lincoln's right. The other figures represent the hundreds of thousands of men who made the Union victory possible.

"Now He Belongs To The Ages" Panel

The central panel of the Memorial Building is representative of the final legacy left by Lincoln to the nation upon his assassination. The words "Now he belongs to the ages" were spoken by Lincoln's Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton, upon Lincoln's death on April 15, 1865. (Yes, some historians claim that Stanton said "angels" and not "ages", but that is a discussion for another time). Lincoln is shown in this panel ascending to Heaven after his death. The other figures are symbolic of the various groups of people to whom Lincoln belongs: laborer; farmer; mother and child; and freed slave. To his right are Columbia (a national symbol); and the Muse of History, Cleo.

Summary

The descriptions of these panels came from an explanatory handout given by the National Park Service to visitors. Interestingly, these panels are not described anywhere on the official website of The Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial. The photos I've included are ones I took and others I found on the Internet.

In my opinion, at least, the Memorial Building is beautiful and meaningful. Should you ever have a chance to visit The Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, be sure to take some extra time and look at the carvings. They are truly works of art.

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The Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial

Abraham Lincoln was, of course, born in Kentucky in 1809. He spent most of his adult life in Springfield, Illinois prior to his election to the presidency and is entombed there as well. And he lived the final years of his life in Washington, D.C. where he was assassinated and died. In this year of Lincoln's birth bicentennial, much attention has been focused on the aforementioned locations.

The official bicentennial celebration kicked off last year in Hodgenville, Kentucky, near Lincoln's birthplace. A gala birthday celebration took place this year on February 12 in Springfield, with President Obama in attendance. And Washington, D.C. has been the setting for major exhibitions, the re-dedication of the Lincoln Memorial, and various artistic performances throughout the city to celebrate Lincoln.

Not to be overlooked during this or any year is the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial. Located in southern Indiana near the small town of Lincoln City, the Memorial encompasses the area where Abraham Lincoln lived from the time he was a young boy until he grew to adulthood.

I had the pleasure of visiting the Boyhood Memorial for the first time just two weekends ago, on September 19, 2009. I've been to the Birthplace Memorial in Kentucky twice, Springfield twice, and to Washington, D.C. more times than I can remember. So I thought I should visit where Lincoln grew up during this bicentennial year. I'd like to share about my trip with my readers. But first some background.

HISTORY

In 1816, Thomas and Nancy Lincoln moved from Kentucky to Indiana along with their two children, Sarah (9) and little Abraham (7). Various reasons are given for the move away from Kentucky, but the most likely reasons are slavery and problems with land deeds. Lincoln's parents were Baptists and opposed slavery, which was legal in Kentucky, but not in Indiana. And Kentucky used irregular "meets and bounds" for land boundaries, which led to constant disputes and uncertainty whether the land a person inhabited was clearly owned by that person. Indiana used a more regular method of defining boundaries and a land owner could be reasonably sure that deeds were accurate.

Lincoln spent the next 14 years of his life living in this area of Indiana, until 1830 when his father decided that Illinois offered better opportunities for farming. It was in Indiana, though, where Abraham learned many of the values which served him so well as he matured into adulthood and as he ascended to the presidency.

After Lincoln's death in 1865, this area of Indiana became revered both for Lincoln and his mother, Nancy, who died there in 1818. At first the area was known as the Nancy Hanks Lincoln Memorial Park and was operated by the state of Indiana. The memorial building pictured above was constructed in the 1940's. Gradually, supporters of the park pushed for national status and in 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed legislation which created the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial. Since then it has been run as a unit of the National Park Service.

The park totals about 200 acres and contains the memorial building, a small graveyard which is the burial site of Lincoln's mother, a "living farm" depicting what frontier life was like in Lincoln's time, a small memorial to the cabin the Lincoln family began building in 1829, and a trail featuring twelve stones which came from various sites related to Lincoln.

I'll cover the major highlights of the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial in individual entries rather than have one post with a lot of information so as to not lose the attention of my readers. I'll be posting in the coming days about the Memorial Building, Lincoln's mother Nancy, and other Lincoln sites I visited within the park and the surrounding area.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Boyhood Memorial. First of all, it's heavily forested and it's a lovely setting. More importantly, I enjoyed this park far more than I ever have the Birthplace Memorial in Kentucky and, perhaps, even Springfield. Lincoln seemed to me to be more "accessible" at the Boyhood Memorial in some ways than he did at the Birthplace site. While it lacks the sheer historical setting of Springfield as it relates to Lincoln, the Boyhood Memorial also is simpler and helps us to understand the foundations of Lincoln's greatness.

The Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial is open every day of the year, with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and January 1. The admission fee is $3.00 per person.

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Stay Tuned For New Posts

My apologies to my regular (and new) readers for the lack of postings this past month. Job, home, and some other issues have been working against me in recent weeks and I've simply not been up to the task of putting out new stories about Mr. Lincoln.

This is about to change. I have some news about the trip I took this past weekend to southern Indiana for my first visit ever to the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, Lincoln State Park, and a highly interesting archaeological dig at a home associated with Lincoln. I also will be sharing a personal story about my being quoted in a Civil War magazine in an article about Lincoln.

Thanks for your continued support and patience during this extended absence. I'm gratified by the hundreds of hits I receive on the blog every day.

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A Different Kind of Lincoln Statue

Back on July 5, I posted about an Abraham Lincoln "sculpture" made of cheese. Now here is one featuring a young Lincoln, this time carved from butter.

From this article in the Springfield, Illinois State Journal-Register newspaper comes the story about the annual butter cow display at the Illinois State Fair. This year's display also includes Lincoln, yet another honor for his 200th birthday. The sculpture shows Lincoln as legend imagines him: reading while he has a cow to milk and wood to chop. The figure of Lincoln is nearly life-sized and shows him at the approximate age of 29, according to the sculptor, Sharon BuMann who lives in the state of New York. She primarily earns her living from working in bronze sculptures, but she also works on these butter carvings for state fairs in Texas, Kansas and of course in Illinois.

It took Ms. BuMann nine days to create this sculpture, working inside a display case kept at 34-36 degrees. She used up 90 pairs of rubber gloves and had to exit the case every couple of hours to warm up. Very interesting.

Why Lincoln? Because there's no one "butter" than Abe. Couldn't resist.

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