TWO MEN, BOTH THE SAME, YET DIFFERENT. THEY CAME FROM OPPOSITE PARTS OF
THE COUNTRY, CONTRARY
PHILOSOPHIES ON FARMING, YET
BOTH VERY SUCCESSFUL.
OH, YEAH, THERE IS A FUTURE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
IN THE MIX.
>>> HI, I AM JIM WILHELM.
IN 1840, THOSE TWO MEN CAME TO
THIS AREA AND SETTLED LESS THAN
TEN MILES FROM EACH OTHER.
THE MORE FAMOUS OF THE TWO
ESTABLISHED HIS FARM HERE, AND
CALLED IT THE GOOSE NEST PRAIRIE
FARM.
WE KNOW IT TODAY AS THE LINCOLN
LOG CABIN STATE HISTORIC SITE
NEAR LERNA.
THE HOMESTEAD THEY CONSTRUCTED
WAS OF A TYPICAL SADDLEBAG
CONSTRUCTION WHICH IS BASICALLY
TWO CABINS WITH A SHARED CHIMNEY
IN THE CENTER.
FOR THOMAS LINCOLN AND HIS
SECOND WIFE, SARA, THIS WAS
THEIR THIRD LOCATION IN ILLINOIS
THERE ARE ONLY TWO ROOMS.
THERE WAS A KITCHEN AND THIS IS
A MASTER BEDROOM.
WHILE IT WAS SPAY SPACIOUS, THE
LINCOLNS NEVER LIVED HERE ALONE.
SOME OF SARA'S FAMILY LIVED WITH
THEM, IT IS THOUGHT AS MANY AS
17 PEOPLE LIVED IN THIS CABIN.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WONDERING ABOUT
THOMAS LINCOLN'S SOON TO BE
FAMOUS SON, ABE RAM, BY THAT
TIME HE WAS A SUCCESSFUL LAWYER
LIVING IN SPRINGFIELD.
HE WAS ALREADY MARRIED AND HAD
SERVED IN THE STATE'S GENERAL
ASSEMBLY.
ANYWAY, BACK TO THE FARM.
ALL THOSE FAMILY MEMBERS WERE
NEEDED TO WORK THE FARM.
AT THAT TIME AT LEAST ONE PERSON
WAS NEEDED FOR EVERY 40 ACRES.
THE LINCOLN'S HAD 120 ACRES PLUS
LIVESTOCK, AND THERE WAS A DAILY
CHORES TO BE DONE AROUND THE
HOUSE.
THOSE CHORES AND THE LIFESTYLE
OF THE LINCOLNS ARE REENACTED
HERE ON ON A DAILY BASIS.
INTERPRETERS RESEARCH A FAMILY
MEMBER AND TAKE ON THE CHARACTER
HERE ON THE FARM.
SPEAKING IN THE UPLAND
SOUTHERNER VERNACULAR OF THE
PERIOD.
>> THERE U.S.
THEY STILL WORK TO BE DONE.
HELP ME OUT HERE.
>> TV SHOW HERE.
>> WHAT IS THAT.
WE HAVE FIELDWORK TO DO!
>> BESIDES FARMING METHODS,
VISITORS CAN WATCH THE NOON MEAL
BEING PREPARED USING UTENSILS
SIMILAR TO THE 1840'S.
THIS FRY PAN WAS USED FOR BAKE.
DOUGH WAS PLACED INSIDE IT WAS
COVERED WITH ASHES.
OUT IN THE FIELD, I WILL BE
WORKING THE DRAG.
THE DRAG IS JUST A FRAME WITH
METAL SPIKES IN IT THAT WAS USED
TO BREAK UP THE CLOUDS AFTER THE
FIELD HAD BEEN PLOWED, MUCH LIKE
A DISK IS USED TODAY.
>> WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO?
ELD PREPARATION WAS A LABOR INTENSIVE PROCESS. GROUND WAS PLOWED TWICE AND THEN
DRAGGED THREE TIMES BEFORE BEING
ROLLED FLAT.
WORK BEGAN AROUND 4:30:00 A.M.
AND CONTINUED UNTIL DINNER AT
NOON, AND THEN STARTED AGAIN
ABOUT 3 IN THE AFTERNOON AFTER
THE DAY'S HEAT.
THOMAS LINCOLN WAS SUBSIST TENSE FARMER. HE FARMED IN THE TRADITIONAL WAY
JUST THE WAY HIS FARMER HAD
FARMED.
GROWING JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING
THE FAMILY NEEDED WITH JUST A
LITTLE EXTRA LEFT OVER TO SELL.
>> THERE U.S.
IT IS CORN PLANTING TIME.
LET'S BE A GETTING BACK TO WORK!
> BESIDES THE CABIN AND BARN,
THOMAS HAD A WOOD SHOP WHERE HE
MADE FURNITURE AND ANOTHER
BUILDING TO HOUSE THE LOOM.
NEARBY WAS THE NATIONAL ROAD SO
HIS GOODS COULD BE SHIPPED TO
OTHER MARKETS.
THOMAS WAS DOING VERY WELL.
>> THE FIELDS WERE MARKTDED
VERTICALLY AND WHO ARE I SOON
TALLY.
AT EACH INTERSECTION, THREE
SEEDS OF CORN WERE PLANTED.
THERE IS AN OLD SAYING BEING ONE
FOR GOD, ONE FOR THE CRITTERS
AND ONE FOR ME.
IT WAS TIME CONSUMING, HARD WORK
THE SAME YEAR THOMAS LINCOLN
MOVED HERE, STEPHEN SERGEANT
BOUGHT LAND AND STARTED HIS OWN
FARM ABOUT TEN MILES DOWN THE
ROAD.
HE HAD BEEN A MERCHANT WHO
DECIDED HE COULD MAKE MORE MONEY
FARMING.
IN 1985, HIS HOME WAS MOVED HERE
IN ORDER TO PROVIDE A CONTRAST
TO THE LINCOLN FARM.
SERGEANT REPRESENTED A NEW WAVE
IN AGRICULTURE, MORE
PROGRESSIVE, LESS TRADITIONAL.
HE READ ALL THE FARM
PUBLICATIONS AND HE WAS QUICK TO
EMPLOY THE LATEST EQUIPMENT AND
METHODS TO INCREASE OUTPUT.
HE WAS IN IT FOR THE MONEY.
ALTHOUGH AT FIRST HE LIVED IN A
LOG CABIN LIKE THE LINCOLN'S,
SERGEANT SOON BUILT A FRAME
HOUSE AND THEN USED THE CABIN AS
A SUMMER KITCHEN. TODAY HIS
HOME, MUCH LIKE HIS APPROACH TO
FARMING, SEEMS MORE FAMILIAR
THAN THE LINCOLN'S.
BOTH MEN WERE SUCCESSFUL.
THOMAS HAD 120 ACRES WHICH WAS
FARMED BY THE FAMILY WHICH
PROVIDED JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING
THEY NEEDED PLUS A LITTLE BIT TO
SELL.
SERGEANT, ON THE OTHER HAND, HAD
400 ACRES WHICH WAS FARMED BY
HIRED HANDS, AND HE USED HIS
PROFITS TO INCREASE HOLDINGS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
PART OF THE FRONT PORCH WAS
CLOSED TO PROVIDE A GUEST ROOM.
SECOND FLOOR WAS WHERE THE HELP
LIVED, AND THEY HAD THEIR OWN
OUTSIDE ENTRANCE TO AVOID
TRACKING DIRT IN THE HOUSE.
APPARENTLY THEY WEREN'T THE
PROBLEM.
IT WAS MR. SERGEANT!
IF SOMEONE WOULD COME IN THE
HOUSE WITHOUT WIPING THE MANURE
OFF HIS FEET, AND HE WOULD LET
THE ANIMALS WANDER IN.
FINALLY HIS WIFE HAD THIS WALL
BUILT DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE
HOUSE TO KEEP ALL OF THEM OUT OF
HER DINING ROOM AND HER SITTING
AREA.
IN THE MASTER BEDROOM, THE
SEPARATION CONTINUED.
STEPHEN SLEPT IN THIS FOUR
POSTER BED AND HIS WIFE AT THE
OTHER END OF THE ROOM.
THIS, ASSURED AS HER BELIEFS
THAT SLEEPING TO GO TOPGHT WAS
AN ACT OF PROCREATION ONLY.
PART OF THE FUN IS TALKING TO THE INTERPRETERS ARE EACH OF WHOM IS PLAYING A ROLE, AND THEY
ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE ERA.
FROM THEM, WE LEARNED ABOUT
LIVESTOCK THOMAS LINCOLN KEPT.
HE WOULD HAVE HAD HAD A HERD OF
ERSOBA HOGS LIKE THIS ONE. THEY
PRODUCE LITTLE HAM, BUT LOTS OF
BACON.
THEY HAD A LONGER SNOUT FOR
ROOTING AND PLUS THEY WERE MORE
WILD.
THEY HAD TO BECAUSE BACK THEN,
THE HOGS ROAMED FREE.
IN ORDER TO COUNT THEIR HERD AND
SELECT THE ANIMALS FOR
BUSCHERING, EVERY FALL THE LOCAL
FARMERS HELD A ROUND UP.
OWNERSHIP WAS IDENTIFIED BY
MARKINGS ON THE PIG'S EARS MUCH
LIKE BRAND BEING CATTLE.
ANIMALS WERE USUALLY BUTCHERED
IN THE LATE FALL.
THE MEAT PRESERVATION WAS A
LENGTHY PROCESS.
FIRST THE MEAT HAD TO BE COATED
WITH THE MIXTURE OF SALT AND
SUGAR AND PEPPER WHICH HAD TO BE
CHANGED DAILY FOR ABOUT A MONTH.
THEN IT WAS READY FOR THE SMOKE
HOUSE.
FOR SEVEN DAYS, THE MEAT WOULD
HANG HERE WHILE THE FIRE BELOW
WAS TENDED EVERY HALF-HOUR TO
MAKE SURE IT NEVER FLAMED, JUST
SMOLDERED.
AIR WAS DRAWN FROM THE BOTTOM OF
THE DOOR AND EXITED THROUGH THE
EAVES.
BESIDES BEEF AND PORK, PEOPLE
ATE CHICKEN, LOTS OF CHICKEN.
THE LINCOLN'S HAD UPWARD AFTER
HUNDRED.
CHICKENS WERE MORE THAN JUST A
SOURCE OF FOOD, THEIR FEATHERS
WERE USED TO FILL THE TICKS OF
THE MATTRESSES.
IT TOOK 180 CHICKENS TO STUFF A
SICKLE TICK.
PEOPLE ONLY BATHED ONCE A MONTH,
PERHAPS LESS IN THE WINTERTIME.
SO EVERY SPRING ALL THE TICKS
WERE TAKEN OUT AND BURNED.
WOMEN WASHED THEIR HAIR ONLY
TWICE A YEAR, BUT KEPT IT SOFT
BY BRUSHING IT OUT A THOUSAND
TIMES EVERY NIGHT BEFORE
BEDTIME.
>> WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO?
WE ARE TIRED OF LOOKING FOR YOU
WE HAVE WORK TO DO!
>> IN ADDITION TO FARMING
TECHNIQUES AND MEAL PREPARATION,
ALL WORK AND MAINTENANCE IS DONE
USING SAME TOOLS AND METHODS OF
THE 1840'S BEING INCLUDING THIS
CONSTRUCTION OF NEW BUILDINGS.
OXEN WERE USED FOR HAULING AND
PULLING HEAVY LOADS IS SUCH AS
LOGS USED FOR NEW BUILDINGS.
THE LOGS WOULD BE PRENOTCHED,
POSITIONED AND ROLLED INTO
PLACE.
BUT TALLER BUILDINGS, BLOCK AND
TACKLE WAS USED TO RAISE THE
LOGS.
THIS WILL BE A SHEEP BARN ON ONE SIDE AND DRYING SHED ON THE OTHER.
ONCE THE WALLS ARE FINISHED, THE
DOOR OPENINGS WILL BE CUT.
DURING PROJECTS LIKE THIS IS NOT
JUST FOR SHOW, BUT A WAY OF
LEARNING HOW THINGS ARE DONE BY
REDISCOVERING THE PROCESS.
THIS WAS THE LAST FARM OF THOMAS LINCOLN. IN 1851 HE DIED OF COLERA DURING
A LOCAL EPIDEMIC.
HE NEVER SAW HIS SON ELECTED
PRESIDENT.
JUST ABOUT A MILE DOWN THE ROAD
IS THIS SITE, ALSO MAINTAINED BY
THE STATE.
THIS WAS THE HOME OF RUBEN
MOORE, HUSBAND OF ABRAHAM
LINCOLN'S STEPSISTER.
AND HERE LINCOLN STEPMOTHER,
SARA, WAS LIVING WHILE WORK WAS
BEING DONE ON THE LOG CABIN.
ON JANUARY 31, 1861, PRESIDENT
ELECT ABRAHAM LINCOLN RETURNED
TO COLES COUNTY FOR THE LAST
TIME.
AFTER VISITING HIS FATHER'S
GRAVE, HE STOPPED AT THIS HOUSE
TO SAY GOOD-BYE TO HIS
STEPMOTHER, THE ONE WHO HAD
PUSHED HIM TOWARD A CAREER IN
LAW.
TODAY THE HOME IS FURNISHED NOT
AS LINCOLN WOULD HAVE SEEN IT,
BUT TO REFLECT THE LIVING
CONDITIONS OF MIDDLE CLASS
FAMILY AFTER THE CIVIL WAR.
IN AN AREA DOTTED WITH LOG
CABINS THIS WAS A MORE URBAN
STRUCTURE WITH PLASTER WALLS AND
WOOD BURNING STOVE.
WHEN LINCOLN RETURN FROM HIS
FATHER'S GRAVE, HE FOUND TABLES
STRETCHED THE LENGTH OF THE
HOUSE FILLED WITH FOOD BROUGHT
BY THE NEIGHBORS.
HIS STEPMOTHER IS REPORTED TO
HAVE SAID "MY DEAR BOY, I
THOUGHT THERE WAS GREATNESS IN
YOU."
IT WAS THE LAST TIME THEY WOULD
SEE EACH OTHER.
SARA BUSH LINCOLN PASSED AWAY IN
1869, AND IS BURIED NEXT TO HER
HUSBAND, NOT TOO FAR AWAY FROM
THEIR LAST HOMESTEAD.
A SITE THAT ONCE ATTRACTED
PEOPLE BECAUSE OF ITS CONNECTION
TO A SLAIN PRESIDENT, NOW
PORTRAYS THE LIFE SARA AND
THOMAS LINCOLN ONCE LED.
TODAY, THE VISITOR CENTER OFFERS
OVERVIEW OF THE FARMING
TECHNIQUES AND HISTORIES OF THE
SERGEANT AND LINCOLN FAMILIES.
BUT THE BEST WAY TO LEARN ABOUT
LIFE ON THESE FARMS IS TO TALK
TO THE INTERPRETERS WHO HAVE
RESEARCHED THEIR ROLES AND AND
LIVE THEM ALMOST DAILY.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE
LINCOLN LOG CABIN STATE HISTORIC
SITE CALL (217)345-6489.