Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park

While we were camped at Fort Knox volunteering at the PGA in Louisville, we took a few tours on our off days:  Lincoln's Birthplace National Historical Park, Lincoln's Boyhood Home National Historical Site, and a tour through a bourbon distillery, Maker's Mark.  Today, August 11, we visited Lincoln's Birthplace NHP.

From Wiki:  Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park preserves two separate farm sites in LaRue County, Kentucky where Abraham Lincoln was born and lived until the age of seven. He was born at the Sinking Spring site south of Hodgenville and remained there until the family moved to the Knob Creek Farm northeast of Hodgenville when he was two years old, remaining there until he was seven years old. The above granite structure houses what was once believed to be the log cabin he was born in.  However, researchers have now concluded that there is doubt surrounding this, and therefore have stated that it is a very close resemblance to his birth cabin.  So, why the huge maintenance expense?

Side view of the structure...It was constructed 1909-1911 and was dedicated by President Taft in 1911.

It reminds me a little of the memorials in DC.

And this is the cabin resembling his birth-cabin.

Two storyboards from inside the memorial...

Two pics from the inside of the cabin...

Sinking Spring, which still is deep, cold and has cool running water.  Nancy walking down the steps to the round pool-like pit of the spring.

Above, a close up of the spring and water still trickling down...

Above, memorial in the background and the spring to the left...and below, another view from nicely manicured grounds.

We walked the above trail, and saw where the old Oak tree once stood, marking one corner of the several hundred acre farm.  The boundaries were later disputed legally, and the family moved to their second home at Knob Creek.  Unfortunately, we didn't have time to visit this farm, perhaps next time through KY.  Also on the property is the privately owned Nancy Lincoln Inn.

This Inn sets across the cup-de-sac from the visitor's center.  We did not go in the Inn.  Catchy huh?

Well, that's a wrap on the Lincoln birthplace.  Our next blog will be on the boyhood home in Lincoln City, IN, where Abe's parents moved to when he was only seven.  So his stay in KY was only his childhood days.  From Duluth, MN (burr 45 degrees, Sept 10) and after visiting a pack of wolves today in Ely, MN, we're headed south for warmer climbs.  So, till the next time, RVing Beach Bums signing off.