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Young Lincoln Riding And Reading ( See Plaque Below )
Plaque On Above Statue
Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site is a reconstruction of the village where Abraham Lincoln spent his early adulthood. The six years Lincoln spent at New Salem formed a turning point of his life. From a gangling young man who came to the village in 1831 with no definite objectives, he became a man of purpose as he embarked upon a career of law and statesmanship. He engaged in a variety of activities while at New Salem. He worked in a store, split rails, enlisted in the Black Hawk War, served as postmaster and deputy surveyor, failed in business, and was elected to the Illinois General Assembly in 1834 and 1836 after being defeated in 1832. The six years Lincoln spent at New Salem almost cover the the town's brief history. This was a thriving community when Lincoln arrived in 1831, but growth slowed before 1937. In 1937 Lincoln moved to Springfield, Illinois to practice law. The decline of New Salem was hastened when Petersburg was established as the county seat.
In May of 1832 Sac and Fox Indians under the leadership of Black Hawk left the Iowa territory and returned to their homes across the Mississippi River in northern Illinois. These Native Americans had lost their Illinois lands in a disputed treaty signed in St. Louis in 1804. Their return to northern Illinois sparked widespread panic among white settlers, and Illinois Governor Reynolds quickly called up the militia, which included a young Abraham Lincoln.
In May of 1832 Sac and Fox Indians under the leadership of Black Hawk left the Iowa territory and returned to their homes across the Mississippi River in northern Illinois. These Native Americans had lost their Illinois lands in a disputed treaty signed in St. Louis in 1804. Their return to northern Illinois sparked widespread panic among white settlers, and Illinois Governor Reynolds quickly called up the militia, which included a young Abraham Lincoln.
What you see now is a reconstructed New Salem. Interest in the New Salem Site was kept alive for years by the Old Salem Chautauqua Association who held their summer meeting in the area thus bringing a lot of people to the area. The first steps at reconstruction started in 1906 when the Chautauqua Association convinced William Randolph Scott ( newspaper publisher ) to take an interest in the site. He had been there lecturing to the association agreed to purchase the site and convey it to the Association. In 1917 the Old Salem Lincoln League was formed to carry on research and keep alive interest in the site. On May 22, 1919, the Chautauqua Association conveyed the site to the State Of Illinois. By this time the Old Salem Lincoln League had erected several log cabins, built a road, and marked other sites. Over time these building deteriorated and were replaced by the state and in 1931 the state appropriated $50,000 for permanent improvements to the site. In November 1932 a contract was let to build 12 log cabins.The Civilian Conservation Corps continued the reconstruction efforts. The Onstot Copper Shop is the only original building at the site. It had been moved to Petersburg but was moved back to the site in 1922.
Twelve log homes, The Rutledge Tavern, ten workshops, stores, mills, and a school where church services wee held have been reproduced and furnished as they might have been in the 1830s. In 1930 a drive was undertaken to collect period furnishing for the site. This effort saw more then 900 items being donated. Included were wheat cradles, candle molds, flax hackles, wool cards, dough and corn meal chests and early American pewter.
A Look Inside Cooper Shop
Cooper Shop Fire Place. Sizing Devices And Other Tools Hang On The Wall.
Tools For Cutting Barrel Stays Which Would all All Have Been Done By Hand.
You Can See The Many Different Sizes And Shape Barrels He Made
Notice The Rope Around The Barrel And The Tool Back Behind The Barrel. This Tool Pulled The Barrel
Together Tightly So The Metal Bands Could Be Placed On The Barrel. Imagine The Precision Required To Cut The Wood So Accurately That The Barrel Would Hold Liquids And All This Done By Hand.
Trent Brothers Residence
Trent Brothers Residence
Joshua A. Miller And John ( Jack ) H. Kelso Residence
His denomination was Baptist. Kelso and his wife lived with the Millers.
John " Jack " H. Kelso Residence
Twelve log homes, The Rutledge Tavern, ten workshops, stores, mills, and a school where church services wee held have been reproduced and furnished as they might have been in the 1830s. In 1930 a drive was undertaken to collect period furnishing for the site. This effort saw more then 900 items being donated. Included were wheat cradles, candle molds, flax hackles, wool cards, dough and corn meal chests and early American pewter.
Statue Of Lincoln
Close Look At Lincoln Statue With Ax And Book
Out Side The Visitor Center
The next 11 or 12 photographs are from inside the visitor center
Lincoln Childhood
Lincoln Leaves Home
Lincoln Works At Odd Jobs
Lincoln Earns Popularity And Respect
Lincoln Serves In Military
Pride And Satisfaction
Readin, Writin, And Cipherin ( Spell Check Is Having Fun With This )
Self Education
Lincoln's Surveying Equipment
Reading Law
Riding The Circuit
Today is a very hot and muggy day. The walk in the New Salem Village takes me through an area of very large trees surrounded by basically a forest area. The area around the village is low and with standing water. The mosquitoes are terrible in bright hot sunlight. I guess they are hungry. You really get your exercise swatting at them. I feel sorry for the many school kids that are here today. All wearing shorts and skimpy shirts. They are going home with a lot of bites when the day is over. I saw several school buses and a couple of tour buses in the parking lot along with a number of cars of visitors to the site.
Henry Onstot Copper Shop
You Can See The Many Different Sizes And Shape Barrels He Made
Together Tightly So The Metal Bands Could Be Placed On The Barrel. Imagine The Precision Required To Cut The Wood So Accurately That The Barrel Would Hold Liquids And All This Done By Hand.
Joshua Miller Blacksmith Shop. Joshua Miller was the village blacksmith and carried on a thriving business. He shod horses, furnished iron parts for wagons and farming implements, and did general metal work for the community. The ring of his hammer hitting the anvil was a familiar sound in New Salem and was heard for many hours each day.
Covered Wagon
Robert Johnston Residence
About Robert Johnston And This Residence
Inside The Robert Johnston House
Inside The Robert Johnston House
Inside The Robert Johnston Home
Isaac Burner Residence
About Isaac Burner And This Residence. Parts of the sign have faded. The bottom of the sign says that a common feature of early log homes was the sleeping loft , like the one in this home.
Isaac Gulihur Residence. He was born in Hopkinsville, Kentucky on June 23, 1825.While at New Salem he married Isaac Burner's daughter Elizabeth, built a residence here and they a son. He served with Lincoln in the Black Hawk War, and following his discharge lost the election for coroner on August 11, 1832. The Gulihurs moved to Knox County, Illinois in late 1834, where they remained for the rest of their lives. This property had two separate cellar; the north cellar had an outside entrance. There was a root cellar and a well.
Martin Waddell Residence
About Martin Waddell
New Salem Carding Mill And Wool House
About The Carding Mill And Wool House
Carding Mill And Wool House Machinery
Gears Which Turned The Carding Machines
Turn Table Sits On A Slope With Two Oxen Walking Uphill Thereby Causing
The Table To Turn And Turn The Gears Beneath The Table.
Sign For Berry-Lincoln First Store
Inside 1st Berry - Lincoln Store
Inside The Berry - Lincoln Store
James and Rowan Herndon had arrived at New Salem by the spring of 1831. They had built a store and opened it that fall. In the summer of 1832, James sold his interest in the store to William Berry. Rowan became dissatisfied with Berry and later that same year sold his interest to Abraham Lincoln for a promissory note. Stores were popular gathering places. Not only was merchandise bought but stories were swapped and anything from weather to politics discussed. When a larger store and better stock of goods became available across the street, Berry and Lincoln recognized its value and moved there in mid-January 1833.
Lukin - Ferguson Residence No Photograph Of Exterior Of House
Inside Lukin - Ferguson Residence
Inside he Lukin - Ferguson Residence.
Dr. Francis Regnier Office ( No Photograph )
Samuel Hill Residence
Samuel Hill Residence
Hill - McNeil Store
Hill - McNeil Store
Inside Hill - McNeil Store
Inside Hill - McNeil Store
Fireplace Inside Hill - McNeil Store. Note Clock Over Fire Place
Dr. John Allen Residence
New Salem ( Rutledge ) Tavern
James Rutledge a native South Carolian who co-founded New Salem with his nephew John Camron, erected a residence in 1828. Once New Salem began to proper, he converted it to an inn or tavern where travelers could enjoy a meal and bed. By law the rate was set at 37.5 cents per day for a meal and overnight stay. The Rutledge family left New Salem in early 1833. Nelson Alley purchased the tavern and rented it to Henry Onstot and later Michael Keltner. In 1837 Alley sold it to Jacob Bale, who by this time operated both the carding mill and the sawmill and gristmill. The Bales used it for many years as a residence . By 1880 it had decayed to ruin.
Weavers House
A Period Actor Working As A Weaver. He Is Using A Small Box Loom To Make Headbands, Belts, Suspenders And Other Bands.
I did not see some of the buildings that were some distance away simply because the misquotes were so bad. I went back to the Visitor Center area and had some food , soft drink and cooled off and rested a bit. Inside the restaurant building was a gift shop. I went in to see if they had a stamp for the site that I could put in my National Park Passport Book. The lady working the counter said they did but they put it on a card and mail it. I asked if she could sell me a card, I pay the postage and she put the stamp in my Passport Book. She said they could not do that. Oh well I had already got my book stamped at the visitors center. State Historical sites often have a stamp to show you have visited their site. Being relaxed and cooled off I got back into Lady Blue and we took off driving back to Springfield, Illinois to the Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum.
This stop was one of my favorite on the trip so far. As always remember God Loves you and so do I.
Grandpa Bill
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