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13. Lincoln Landing

The Lincoln Landing commemorates the site from which Abraham Lincoln, along with Allen Gentry, at the age of 19 took his first flatboat trip down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans.  The trip carried supplies for a local merchant in 1828.  In New Orleans, Abraham saw slaves being bought and sold and mis-treated.  He stated to Mr. Gentry “If I ever get a chance to hit that thing, I’ll hit it hard”.  Many experiences throughout his young life, along with the beliefs of his parents, created a sense of wrongness about slavery within Abraham Lincoln.  Many believe that this trip to New Orleans solidified that belief and strengthened his resolve to work against slavery within his sphere of influence.

Lincoln Landing is located in Rockport, Indiana.  Access is via a small entrance and narrow road that parallels the Ohio River.  A one-mile walk along the road leads a visitor past a sandstone cliff that reflects and radiates the heat from the sun and the river.  The cliff is interesting as several small caves exist within the rock structure.  In one cave, a memorial marks the home of a family upon their arrival to Indiana during their first year.  After the walk, one arrives at a memorial marker dedicated by the city of Rockport and the Spencer County Historical Society.

		Far left: Entrance onto the Lincoln Landing road.Abraham Lincoln spoke at the Spencer County Courthouse in 1844 on behalf of Henry Clay, Whig candidate for President.
View east. What do you see that Lincoln would NOT have seen?	View west, which is the route to the Lincoln Landing memorial.
The City of Rockport and the Spencer County Historical Society commemorate Lincoln’s historic flatboat trip to New Orleans with an amazing marker made from Indiana limestone. The marker conveys an earthy, yet, elegant image of Mr. Lincoln.