Lincoln Log Cabin

Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site preserves the site of the 1840s farm of Thomas and Sarah Bush Lincoln, father and stepmother of Abraham Lincoln. Today, Lincoln Log Cabin is an 86-acre historic site centering around the accurate reproduction of the Lincolns' two-room cabin. Welcome to our Tumblr, feel free to take a look around, ask us any questions, and share your stories about your experiences at Lincoln Log Cabin.

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Mowing 1845 style??

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Rainy day at the cabin, sometimes even pioneer women need umbrellas

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Snow day at the cabin, the lambs are staying warm in the barn.  They are growing up so fast! Be sure to come out & see them!

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You just never know what you'll find at Lincoln Log Cabin.  Anyone have any funny stories from the site?

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Walker the Artist and Theodore Davis at work on Lookout Mountain, ca. November 1863, Photographer unknown.

This image was found in a google search, but an original copy is in the collection of the Chicago History Museum.

This is a photograph of James Walker painting a scene at the site of The Battle of Lookout Mountain, which occurred in the summer of 1863. This photo represents an intersection of technologies old and new: the camera was a brand-new technology that was just beginning to become a popular method of documentation, whereas painting and drawing had been the traditional way of recording a scene.

The Battle of Lookout Mountain featured several infantry units from Illinois. Both this photograph and the painting he is working on are featured as digital reproductions in our exhibit.

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Penelope Bingham, food historian, is coming to Lincoln Log Cabin to talk food.  She will present her program about cookbooks as primary documents that give us insight into our culture and history.  She will relate her findings to the first-person interpretation program and how gender roles have played a significant part in our social history.  In her words she states, "talking about food, recipes, and cookbooks is a wonderful way to initiate conversations about American culture and history!"

The program is this Saturday, the 23rd at 2pm in the Visitor Center Auditorium.

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Most of you probably know that the original Thomas Lincoln Cabin disappeared after the 1893 Chicago World's Columbian Exposition. Many of you may know that the reconstructed cabin that stands at Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps(CCC), and completed in 1936. But many of you may not know much about the CCC, or the lives of the men who took part in reconstructing the Thomas Lincoln Cabin. We encourage you to take a look at this webpage, which discusses in great detail the CCC legacy in Coles County, and has a plethora of great photographs of the CCC and the construction of what would become the Lincoln Log Cabin we know and love!

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Find out about the upcoming events at Lincoln Log Cabin!

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The ugly jug or face jug has a mysterious history, one thought to have started when slaves from Africa produced them as a way to ward off evil spirits at graves.  As the practice of making face jugs spread it is possible that it would have come to Illinois where the Lincoln's resided.  The purpose of the jug changed around the turn-of-the Century & by the 1920s they were known as "Ugly Jugs" used to store alcohol & to scare children from getting near them.  It's also rumored that they were referred to Ugly Jugs as a representation of one's attitude after drinking from it for too long. 

To learn more about their history visit this site:

http://www.kuehnpottery.com/facejughistory.htm

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New baby lambs at the Lincoln Farm, meet Abe (bottom) & Cupid (top).  We're expecting twins at the Sargent Farm hopefully any day now! Stay tuned for more pictures!

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"My wife is as handsome as when she was a girl, and I…fell in love with her; and what is more, I have never fallen out."

Abraham Lincoln

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A capacity, and taste, for reading, gives access to whatever has already been discovered by others. It is the key, or one of the keys, to the already solved problems. And not only so. It gives a relish, and facility, for successfully pursuing the [yet] unsolved ones.

A quote from our old friend Abraham Lincoln, from his September 30, 1859 address before the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society

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This Youtube video featuring some fantastic fiddle music shows some of the great things you can come see at Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site!

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Sarah Bush Lincoln cooking over the fire at the cabin.  Dutch ovens are a great tool, anybody have any good dutch oven stories/recipes?

Today we used them to fry up sausage for sausage gravy, made biscuits, & a Molasses Johnny Cake in honor of Abraham Lincoln (his favorite cake)

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Today we welcomed 300 kids to the site in celebration of Abraham Lincoln's Birthday, they got a tour of the site & the cabin built by Thomas Lincoln, Abraham's dad, got to make a fun craft of Lincoln, had a story read to them about Abe's life growing up, & got to play games popular during Abe's youth.  Programs like this one are popular around the area as they get kids out moving, doing, seeing, touching, & experiencing their world.  Lincoln Log Cabin is a great place for a field trip!

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Tomorrow we are welcoming over 300 1st graders to the site to learn about Abraham Lincoln & celebrate his 204th birthday (a few days early).  Stay tuned for photos & comments from the day! 

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My Long Stroll at Lincoln Log Cabin (A Guest Submitted Story)

I'm originally from the Champaign area, but even though I lived pretty close, I had never visited Lincoln Log Cabin until a few years ago. My life was kind of a mess, and it seemed like I only had one friend in the world who I could count on. One day when I was feeling particularly lost he took me out to the site and we just walked around for hours, talking about everything. It was a very cold winter day, but I didn't care. To me, it was the most beautiful place in the world! Even though the site wasn't running with the interpreters and the cabin was locked up, it was still the best day I had for a long time! Fast forward a few years, and that friend of mine was actually working at the site! My husband (introduced to me by my good friend) and I decided we should go pay him a visit. We saw him in his 1840s clothes working on the farm, and had a good time listening to him stay in character the whole time, with only a wink at us to give him away! He introduced us to several of the characters out there and we had a great time visiting with them all! He eventually did break character (once all the other visitors had moved on), and we had a few minutes to catch up. It was another great day. Every experience I've ever had at Lincoln Log Cabin has been a great one, and even though my hubby and I no longer live in the US, I know that everytime we're back in Illinois, we'll be paying the site a visit! Want to share your story with us? Click on the "Share Your Stories" Tab and submit your experiences at Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site!