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3. Knob Creek

The Lincoln’s at Knob Creek Farm: Human-Environment Interaction

By: Barbara Bauman; Washington, IL; Lincoln Tri-State Summer Institute, June, 2009

Abraham Lincoln’s family moved to Knob Creek Farm in Kentucky in 1811 because of a land title problem at Sinking Springs.  His family included his father, Thomas, his mother, Nancy Hanks, his older sister, Sarah, and Abraham.  The access to their farm was the only road in the area, one that extended from Louisville to Nashville.  Although Knob Creek Farm is 228 acre farm, the family lived on just 30 acres.  On this farm where Abraham Lincoln lived from 1811-1816, the land now looks much as it did when Lincoln lived there.  There are three different fields that stand between the knobs (hills).  The land between the knobs is fertile, providing an excellent spot for growing corn.  The nearby woods provided wood for building their log home and for fire wood. The area likely provided herbs and berries as food for the family as well.  Knob Creek provided fish and a source of water to the family.  Knob Creek is the place Lincoln first remembers since he left Sinking Springs when he was only two years old. 

The Lincoln family built a log cabin which is typical of the type of home others in the area built.  While living here from age two to age eight, Lincoln learned to help with household chores like fetching water and gathering wood for the fireplace.  Here he picked berries and fished in the stream.  Here is also where Abraham Lincoln helped plant the crops.  A story Lincoln told about his time here was that he planted pumpkins seeds, and his sister, Sarah, planted corn in their garden.  When a big rain caused water to rush through the valley the following day, their seeds were washed away.  This was typical of valleys in this area. 

Abraham Lincoln’s brother, Thomas Jr., was born here in 1811 and died in infancy in 1812. 

It was here that Abraham and his sister had their first chance to attend a “blab” school.  Although he attended school for only short periods of time, it was here he first learned the power of learning and developed an interest in reading that continued throughout his lifetime.

The location of this farm near the road also provided young Lincoln with the opportunity to see the cruel manner in which slaves being taken down the road were treated.  This sight greatly influenced Lincoln’s feelings about slavery.  In fact, his family even changed their church membership due to their disapproval of slavery.

The Lincoln family was forced to leave the farm in the fall of 1816 because of a lawsuit brought forward by a group claiming prior ownership of 10,000 acres in the Knob Creek valley.  This was the only boyhood home Lincoln could remember at the time.  The family later settled in Spencer County, Indiana.

Picture of exterior of cabin taken from http://www.nps.gov/abli/photosmultimedia/photogallery%2Ehtm?eid=166003&root_aId=275#e_166003

Route 31 East	Log cabin	Outhouse
Recently reconstructed log cabin	A family had very few possessions	A local craftsman created this bench