Through the Cumberland Gap

The boy who would grow up to be the 16th President of the United States was named for his paternal grandfather, Captain Abraham Lincoln, a true pioneer and good friend of Daniel Boone.

In 1782 Captain Abraham Lincoln brought his family through the Cumberland Gap into Kentucky which was still part of Virginia.  Kentucky entered the union as the 15th state in 1792.

In 1786, shortly after settling in this new land, Captain Abraham Lincoln was shot by an Indian.  This was a defining event in young Thomas Lincoln’s life.  At the time of his father’s death, Mordecai Lincoln, the oldest son, inherited his father’s entire estate, leaving Thomas and his older brother to fend for themselves.  There is no indication that Thomas Lincoln ever resented his brother’s good fortune or spent much time brooding over his fate.  After his father’s death, Thomas moved with his mother to Washington County. 

Nancy Hanks was also born in Virginia, the daughter of Lucy Shipley and James Hanks.  When Nancy’s father died her mother moved with other family members to Kentucky.  Eventually, Nancy went to live in Washington County and was a neighbor of Thomas Lincoln.  On June 12, 1806 Nancy Hanks and Thomas Lincoln were married near Springfield, Kentucky.

Thomas and Nancy Lincoln Settle on Sinking Spring Farm

After their wedding, Nancy and Thomas moved to Elizabethtown near his carpenter shop and in the vicinity of the Mill Creek Farm which he had purchased in 1803.  In February of 1807 a daughter, Sarah, was born.  Thomas Lincoln was known and respected as a steady worker, and his dedication paid off by 1808, when he and Nancy purchased the Sinking Spring Farm for $200 cash from Isaac Bush.

With Nancy expecting her second child, the Lincoln family moved into a cabin somewhere in the vicinity of a knoll by the Sinking Spring, a reliable source of fresh water where Abraham Lincoln probably took his first drink.

The Lincolns had chosen well and had every reason to expect a prosperous future.  Although they moved into a one room cabin probably no more than 16 by 20 feet with only one window and one door, they would have brought with them items from Elizabethtown that made the new home comfortable.  They still owned a farm in Elizabethtown and Thomas’ skills as a carpenter would guarantee any furniture items the family wanted.  Nancy was reputed to be a talented spinner who could spin and weave clothing for her husband and young children.

Thomas, like other settlers in the area would have planted corns, beans, squash, and pumpkins.  He probably had a few head of livestock.  This young family had every reason to rejoice upon the prospects of their future when a son, Abraham, named for his paternal grandfather, was born February 12, 1809.

Born to a pioneer family

Figures portraying Thomas, Nancy, two year old Sarah, and baby Abraham about the time of his first birthday.

Lincoln Family Timeline

June 12, 1806
Lincoln’s parents, Thomas and Nancy Hanks, marry in Washington County, Kentucky.

(Date unknown) 1812
Lincoln’s brother Thomas dies in Kentucky in infancy.

December 1816
Thomas Lincoln moved his family to Perry (now Spencer) County, Indiana

October 5, 1818
Lincoln’s mother Nancy dies in Spencer County, Indiana, at age 35.

December 13, 1818
Lincoln’s future wife Mary is born to Robert and Eliza Todd in Lexington, Kentucky.

December 2, 1819
Lincoln’s father marries Sarah Bush Johnson in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.

August 2, 1826
Lincoln’s sister Sarah marries Aaron Grigsby in Indiana.

January 20, 1828
Lincoln’s sister Sarah dies in childbirth at age 20 in Indiana.

November 4, 1842
Lincoln marries Mary Todd in Springfield, Illinois.

August 1, 1843
Lincoln’s son Robert Todd is born in Springfield, Illinois.

March 10, 1846
Lincoln’s son Edward Baker is born in Springfield, Illinois.

February 1, 1850
Lincoln’s son Edward dies in Springfield, Illinois, age 3 years and 11 months.

December 21, 1850
Lincoln’s son William Wallace is born in Springfield, Illinois.

January 17, 1851
Lincoln’s father Thomas dies in Coles County, Illinois, at age 73.

April 4, 1853
Lincoln’s son Thomas (Tad) is born in Springfield, Illinois.

February 20, 1862
Lincoln’s son William dies in the White House at age 11.

April 15, 1865
Lincoln dies in Washington, D.C. after being shot by an assassin, at age 56.

September 24, 1868
Lincoln’s son Robert marries Mary Eunice Harlan in Washington D.C.

April 12, 1869
Lincoln’s stepmother Sarah dies in Coles County, Illinois.

July 15, 1871
Lincoln’s son Thomas (Tad) dies in Chicago, Illinois, at age 18.

July 16, 1882
Lincoln’s widow Mary dies in Springfield, Illinois, at age 63.

May 30, 1909
Lincoln’s son Robert attends statue dedication to his father the 16th President at his birthplace in Hodgenville, Kentucky.

July 26, 1926
Lincoln’s son Robert dies in Manchester, Vermont, at age 82.

Lincoln’s Kentucky Influence

Lincoln married a Kentuckian, his three law partners were born in Kentucky, his best friend, Joshua Speed was a Kentuckian and his political hero Henry Clay was a Kentucky Senator. When he ran for Congress in 1846, over 80% of Springfield voters who came from Kentucky voted for him.