|   Located
on the Lincoln Highway, eight miles south of Charleston, Lincoln
Log Cabin preserves the site of the last home and farm of Abraham
Lincoln’s father and stepmother, Thomas (ca. 1778-1851) and
Sarah Bush Lincoln (1788-1869). The Lincolns moved to the farm in
1837.
Featured at the site are two “living history farms”
that portray recreated agricultural practices as they existed in
1840s Illinois—the Thomas Lincoln Farm and the Stephen Sargent
Farm. About 10 acres of “period” crops are cultivated,
along with a hay field. Animals include teams of working oxen and
horses, several sheep, and hogs similar to the razor-backs with
which 1840s Illinois farmers were familiar.
 At
the Lincoln Farm, interpreters carry out generations-old agricultural
activities that may have been practiced by Thomas Lincoln and his
extended family of stepchildren. A replica of his last home, erected
in 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, sits in the location
of the original cabin. Nearby is a large nineteenth-century log
double-crib barn, moved to the site in 1981. Reproduction nineteenth-century
farm structures include a log smokehouse, a well, root cellar, hog
pens with hog shelters, a sheep pen, chicken house, and numerous
garden and orchard fences. At the Lincoln Log Cabin “living
history farms,” guests may observe and experience 1840s Illinois
farm life. Costumed interpreters cultivate the fields, care for
the animals, and work at domestic chores. In the summer, interpreters
assume character roles for “first-person” interpretation.
The Sargent Farm is named for New Hampshire native Stephen Sargent
(1797-1878). With his wife and four children, Sargent lived in the
house from its construction in 1844. This portion of the site portrays
the practices of a farmer strongly influenced by printed agricultural
literature. The centerpiece of this farm is the 1½-story,
timber-framed 1844 “Sargent House,” which has been “restored”
to an 1845 appearance. Also part of the farm are two historic stables,
two historic corn cribs, a historic smokehouse, newly constructed
log kitchen and stable buildings, a garden, and an orchard.
The visitor center contains museum exhibits, the Sargent Art Gallery,
an auditorium with an orientation video, and a visitor information
desk. In the park is a pavilion and three day-use areas for picnicking
and recreation. Adjacent is an eight-acre prairie plot.
Lincoln Log Cabin hosts several special events. Many programs are
supported by the Lincoln/Sargent Farm Foundation.
Lincoln Log Cabin's 2008 Summer Newsletter
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