Jane Simon Ammeson - Lincoln road trip: the back-roads guide to Americas favoritepresident

LINCOLN ROAD TRIP

JANE SIMON AMMESON

This book is a publication of

RED LIGHTNING BOOKS

1320 East 10th Street

Bloomington, Indiana 47405 USA

redlightningbooks.com

2019 by Jane Ammeson

All rights reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Manufactured in the United States of America

ISBN 978-1-68435-062-9

ISBN 978-1-68435-065-0

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Contents

Preface and Acknowledgments

Though the largest and best-known place to explore Lincolns history is Springfield, Illinois, where his home, law office, mausoleum, and other remnants of his life are well preserved, when I began my journey for this book I wanted to find Lincoln and his family off the well-traveled roads, on the backroads and byways where he lived most of his life before becoming president. Following Lincolns footsteps meant spreading out large maps and pinpointing the interconnecting links that crisscross through Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and even Michiganthough Lincoln seems to have made it there only once.

I am not a historian by training, but I love historical travel, and telling Lincolns story as a journey is something Ive always enjoyed, whether its for magazines, newspapers, or travel apps, and getting to explore new old places has been a joy. In my wanderings, Ive met people who were related to Lincolns neighbors and even to Lincoln himself, such as Daryl Lovell, Barb and Jim Hevron, and Jerry Smith, who live in southwestern Indiana. Though no direct descendants survive (three of Mary and Abe Lincolns four children died young), there are still family stories, passed down through generations, about Lincolns time in the area. Ive also met and befriended descendants of Lincolns brother Josiah, who settled on the southeastern side of Indiana.

Much of the natural landscape, with its rolling hills and woodlands, seems not to have changed since Lincolns time. Sure, there are no longer panthers, bears, or wolves, but its rural beauty endures. Many of the historic buildings from the time of Lincolns youth remain as well. When you touch this bannister, the guide says as I walk up the stairs of the Mary Todd Lincoln home in Lexington, Kentucky, youre touching the same wood Abraham Lincoln once touched.

Its a simple sentence, but it still produces a thrill.

Though we know about many of the major events in Lincolns life, theres controversy as well. Indeed, my good friend Mike Flannery, a longtime Chicago television political reporter, tells me more books have been written about Lincoln than anyone besides Jesus Christ. Real Lincoln historians spar over many aspects of his life, although I think they do all agree on the date of his death. When researching and writing this book, I often found well-respected scholars with conflicting information and interpretations. Ive tried to use the most frequently reported facts and contemporary sources, although I understand that having something reported often doesnt mean its true, and that even chroniclers of his day could and did misinterpret Lincoln or have their own agenda.

Id like to point out that in this book I mention numerous incidents where settlers in the Lincoln/Boone families were killed by Indiansbut its important to note that settlers also killed a large number of Native Americans. In his book The Wild Frontier: Atrocities during the American-Indian War from Jamestown Colony to Wounded Knee, lawyer William M. Osborn attempted to list both alleged and actual atrocities in what would eventually become the United States. Starting from first contact in 1511 and ending in 1890, he documents the intentional and indiscriminate murder, torture, or mutilation of civilians, the wounded, and prisoners. His tally accounts for 7,193 people who died from monstrosities perpetrated by those of European descent and 9,156 people who died from atrocities committed by Native Americans. Of course, many attacks and murders were never recorded, and countless records have been lost to time. But Osborns work indicates neither side was innocent of violent behavior.

Many of the people in Lincolns early life were uneducated, and their spelling is irregular and characteristic of the time. In trying to keep the flavor of their written statements, I have kept their original spellings as well. Many newspapers in the early part of the 1800s used that old English spelling where the letter s in the middle of a word looks like an f. That I did change when necessary because it drove me crazy, and I figured it would drive readers just as crazy.

As for my own history writing this book and retracing Lincolns life, Ive had the wonderful support of so many people whose very hard work made all this possible. I owe a big thankyou to all of them. I hope I havent left anyone out, but if I have, please forgive me.

Darlene Briscoe, descendant of Josiah Lincoln

Melissa Brockman, executive director, Spencer County Visitors Bureau

Mike Capps, chief of interpretation and resource management at Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial

Dixon Dedman, owner of the Beaumont Inn and distiller of Kentucky Owl

Megan Fernandez, descendant of Josiah Lincoln

Michael J. Flannery, Fox News-Chicago political anchor

Katie Fussenegger, CTP, CTIS, executive director, Shelby, Kentucky, Tourism & Visitors Bureau

Karen P. Hackett, executive director, Harrodsburg/Mercer County Tourist Commission

Niki Heichelbech-Goldey, director of communications, VisitLEX

Kathy Hertel-Baker, director of archives, Sisters of Charity of Nazareth

Jim and Barb Hevron, authors and historians

Joe Hevron, 19292011, avid Lincoln historian who worked at Holiday World for sixty-five years

Harold Holzer

Mike Kienzler, editor, SangamonLink.org, online encyclopedia of the Sangamon County Historical Society

Debbie Long, owner, Dudleys on Short

Daryl Lovell, author and historian

Pat Koch

Will Koch, 19612010, whom I will always remember and treasureyour love of Lincoln was sublime

Ouita Michel, executive chef, owner of Holly Hill

Jon Musgrave, author and historian

Natalie Partin, communications manager, Georgetown/Scott County Tourism

Carol Peachee, photographer and author of Straight Bourbon: Distilling the Industrys Heritage

Dawn Przystal, owner of Blue Elephant

Ruth Slottag, president, Sangamon County Historical Society

Jerry Smith, historian and member of the Broadwell family

Stephanie Tate, Alton Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau

Irene Tung