Existing comment:
Sinking Spring Farm:
The family moves: In December 1808, Thomas Lincoln paid $200 cash for the 300-acre Sinking Spring Farm -- one-third of which is the park you are visiting today. Thomas, Nancy, and Sarah, who was not yet two years old, moved here from nearby Elizabethtown, Kentucky, shortly before Nancy was to give birth to their second child.
A President is born: Abraham Lincoln entered the world February 12 -- a Sunday -- in the year 1809. Nancy likely placed him on a bed of cornhusks in front of the cabin's fireplace and covered him with animal skins to keep him warm.
The pioneer life: The Lincolns drew water from the Sinking Spring. The freshwater source and upland location made the land a good home site. Stony, clay soil though, was not good for growing crops. Thomas farmed a small area and continued to work as a carpenter.
Forced to leave: After only two years, the Lincolns had to leave Sinking Spring Farm because of a problem with the land title. Thomas believed he owned the land and fought in court to keep it, but he lost the case. |