The life of the 16th U.S. president was full of rich experiences that shaped the man he became, and many of the places important in his journey can be toured in Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois.
By Anna Lee Braunstein
February 2023
President Abraham Lincoln’s road to the White House was paved with success but pitted with loss and upheaval. It wasn’t the miles but rather his life’s journey that set him apart from other U.S. presidents. To walk where he walked and stand where he stood provides a lesson for how he rose from personal poverty to a nation’s reverence.
The Abraham Lincoln Birthplace Memorial Building in Hodgenville, Kentucky.
Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, and raised in the frontier lands of early 19th-century America. His life began at Sinking Spring Farm in Hodgenville, Kentucky. The year before Abraham was born, his father, Thomas, purchased a 300-acre farm. The land consisted of red and yellow clay soil dotted with numerous springs. The family lived a hardscrabble existence and grew corn on ill-suited land. His father eked out a living while his mother, Nancy, raised two young children.
Inside the memorial in Hodgenville is a replica of Lincoln’s birthplace, a one-room cabin.
The Memorial Building at Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park in Hodgenville commemorates Lincoln’s birthplace. Its 56 steps, one for each year of his life, climb to a re-creation of the cabin where he was born and spent his early years. Docents share details about the home; for example, the fireplace and chimney could be hauled off if a fire broke out.
The Lincoln Farm Association, with famed members such as Mark Twain and Samuel Gompers, purchased the site to preserve the 16th president’s birthplace and first home. Nearby is a vegetable garden much like the one young Abe helped tend. Just steps away, Sinking Spring still flows.
The interior of Lincoln’s childhood cabin at Knob Creek Farm in Kentucky houses 19th-century household necessities.
In the Downtown Hodgenville National Historic District, The Lincoln Museum tells more of Lincoln’s life story, from his childhood years to the fateful day of his assassination on April 15, 1865, at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C.
Continually plagued with financial problems, the Lincoln family was forced to leave Sinking Spring when Abe was 2 years old. They moved a few miles down the road to the smaller Knob Creek Farm, also part of the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park. This was the homestead Lincoln remembered from childhood. His father worked the farm and was employed as a road surveyor maintaining the Old Cumberland Trail. Abe helped on the farm, climbed trees, and listened to his mother read the Bible.
Because of continuing title disputes over Knob Creek, the family moved again when Abe was 7. They stayed in a rudimentary shelter while building their home in Little Pigeon Creek, now known as Lincoln City in southwestern Indiana. Abe was a big child, and he was given an ax to help cut the lumber to build the home. His moniker of “Rail Splitter” grew from that. It was here that his mother died.
A year later, Thomas left Abe and his sister alone and went to Kentucky, where he married Sarah Johnston. They returned, along with Sarah’s three children, to Little Pigeon Creek Farm, where Abe lived until he was an adult.
A re-creation of their home is now part of the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial. Docents in period dress perform farm and household chores required of life in the 1820s. The farm is open for tours during the summer.
In 1830, 15 years after settling in Indiana, the Lincoln family again loaded an ox cart and moved. They settled near Decatur, Illinois, where they lived for a year in what is now commemorated as Lincoln Trail Homestead State Park & Memorial. Markers indicate the approximate location of the family cabin. Today the park is a hiking and water recreation destination.
When his family was ready to move again, Abe headed out on his own. He and a friend took jobs as ferrymen on the Ohio River delivering produce to New Orleans, a journey of 1,279 miles and a world away from his earlier life. During trips to New Orleans, Lincoln saw slave auctions. This impacted future decisions in his life.
On one trip, his boat got stuck in New Salem, Illinois. The young town was a growing commercial center that included mills and family businesses. There, he took odd jobs, including a short stint as a barman. Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site in Petersburg, Illinois, was rebuilt to replicate the town as it was in the mid-19th century.
Visitors walk in Lincoln’s footsteps to view more than 20 reconstructed buildings similar to the homes and shops he frequented. The visitors center shows a movie about Lincoln’s life in New Salem. Outdoors at the site, Theatre In The Park stages plays and concerts during the summer season. Interpreters in period costumes conduct a candlelight walk of the area.
Lincoln often conducted legal research in the old Illinois State Library, where he wrote his “House Divided” speech.
Lincoln served in the Illinois State Legislature from 1834 to 1840 and spent time in Vandalia, Illinois, which was then the state capital. This was also where he became an attorney. Storyboards throughout the small town detail local sites that commemorate Lincoln’s time there.
Lincoln later moved from New Salem and settled in Springfield, Illinois, where his political interests flourished. He was part of a contingent of men who made Springfield the capital of Illinois. He served the state legislature for four terms. He ran for the U.S. House of Representatives, the Senate, and other political positions and was defeated more often than elected.
He persevered in his commitment to politics in spite of his record. The city has many sites where Lincoln lived, worked, and served in politics.
Lincoln delivered his “House Divided” speech in 1858 at what is now the Old State Capitol building.
In 1842, Mary Todd became his wife, and their first son, Robert, was born a year later. In 1844, they bought their only house at the corner of Eighth and Jackson streets. As the family grew, the six-room cottage was enlarged. They lived there until moving to the White House. Today, the Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield is part of the National Park Service. Fifty pieces of original furniture remain in the home. Free guided tours and a movie show the Lincoln home as it was in 1860, providing insight into the life of the new lawyer, budding politician, and U.S. president-elect.
Lincoln expanded his law practice in 1844 and took William H. Herndon as junior partner. The men rented office space at Sixth and Adams streets, a short walk from his home. Now known as the Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices, it is the only office of his 25-year practice that is still standing. He also served one term in Congress from 1847 to 1849. Afterward, Lincoln returned to his law practice in Springfield, where he also intended to return as Herndon’s partner after serving his presidential terms.
The Old State Capitol is across the street from the law offices. Lincoln served four terms as state representative and maintained an office nearby during his run for president. This was also the site of his “House Divided” speech. He and Stephen Douglas served in the legislature together, each coming from different parties and viewpoints. Normally open for tours, at this writing, his law office and the original capitol were closed for renovation.
The Lincolns had a pew in the First Presbyterian Church in Springfield. They joined the church after the death of Edward, the couple’s second son. The original church building burned and was reconstructed in 1868, but the Lincoln family pew remains. Former President Theodore Roosevelt worshiped in the pew on Easter Sunday, April 7, 1912. Docents tell visitors about the Lincoln family’s relationship to the church and about the Louis Comfort Tiffany windows that beautify the building.
The Lincoln Tomb is located in Oak Ridge Cemetery, the second-most-visited cemetery in the United States.
In 1861, following Lincoln’s election as U.S. president, the family boarded a special train for the trip to their new home in Washington, D.C. From the platform of the Great Western Railroad Station, Lincoln gave what is known as his Farewell Address, in which he expressed his gratitude to the people of Springfield and his trust in the guidance of the “Divine Being.”
In April 1865, after he was assassinated, the funeral train bearing Lincoln’s body made many stops on its way back to the depot in Springfield. Before entombment in Oak Ridge Cemetery, he lay in the state capitol, where he had served prior. The cemetery is the final resting place for the Lincoln family. Lincoln, Mary, and three of their four sons are entombed in a brick and granite structure that was rebuilt three times. To prevent the theft of Lincoln’s remains, his body is buried in a concrete vault 10 feet below the chamber. Atop the towering monument is the United States flag and the flags of the states where the Lincoln family lived. Near the tomb, Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor of Mount Rushmore, created a massive bronze bust of Lincoln. His nose gleams from thousands of visitors who believe that rubbing it brings good luck. Surrounding the tomb are tributes to those who served in the Civil War, quotations from Lincoln’s speeches, and reproductions of other Lincoln statues.
The Lincoln Tomb in Springfield is the final resting place for Abraham, Mary, Edward, William, and Thomas Lincoln.
Beyond the tomb, the cemetery has war memorials to the many thousands of Illinois veterans who served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Throughout the gentle hills of the cemetery are sections dedicated to the fallen of various battles going back as far as the Civil War. Illinois politicians, writers, and the first settlers of Springfield have been laid to rest within Oak Ridge as well.
Springfield is also the site of The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library And Museum with its excellent films and exhibits recounting the life and work of the 16th president of the United States. Statues of the Lincoln family greet visitors to the museum. Lifelike vignettes, murals, and theater presentations tell the story of the man, his family, and his time. Among the items on display are original copies of the Emancipation Proclamation and the Gettysburg Address, and the gloves he had with him at Ford’s Theatre on the night of his assassination. Across the street from the Presidential Library is an extensive research library. In addition to the collection on Lincoln, the library also contains research materials regarding the state of Illinois. A guided walking tour starts at the museum.
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield holds the world’s largest collection of Lincoln-related artifacts.
Lincoln’s life journey was one of struggle, sorrow, and self-education. The challenges he faced provided the United States with a great leader. A visit to his homes and worksites brings to life the impact he made upon the country.
Learn More About Lincoln
Hodgenville, Kentucky:
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park
www.nps.gov/abli • (270) 358-3137
The Lincoln Museum
www.lincolnmuseum-ky.org • (270) 358-3163
Lincoln City, Indiana:
Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
www.nps.gov/libo/index.htm • (812) 937-4541
Decatur, Illinois, area:
Lincoln Trail Homestead State Park & Memorial
www2.illinois.gov/dnr/Parks/Pages/LincolnTrailHomestead.aspx
(217) 864-3121
Petersburg, Illinois:
Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site
www.lincolnsnewsalem.com • (217) 632-4000
Springfield, Illinois:
Lincoln Home National Historic Site
www.nps.gov/liho/index.htm • (217) 492-4241
Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices
www2.illinois.gov/dnrhistoric/Experience/Sites/Central/Pages/Lincoln-Herndon.aspx
(217) 785-7289 (currently closed for renovations)
Old State Capitol
www2.illinois.gov/dnrhistoric/Experience/Sites/Central/Pages/Old-Capitol.aspx
(217) 785-9363 (currently closed for renovations)
First Presbyterian Church
www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/sites/pew.htm
(217) 528-4311
Oak Ridge Cemetery
www.oakridgecemetery.org • (217) 789-2340
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library And Museum
www.presidentlincoln.illinois.gov/liho
(217) 558-8844