Lincoln Way, Crawford County, Illinois Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives Copyright 2000 Cindy McCachern From the Wabash Pearl, 17 Jan 1913   "Lincoln Way"--Report Made--Passed Thru Palestine Springfield, Ill. Jan. 5--Gov. Deneen yesterday received a report of the "Lincoln Way" Commission, which authorized by the last General assembly was appointed by him to ascertain the route followed by the family of Abraham Lincoln in its migration from the Kentucky home place to the Sangamon River district near Decatur.   Based on personal visits to the sites along the route, the commission conveys a report showing in the main the desired route.  The trail from Gentryville, Ind. to Decatur was the commission's particular province.   The commission recalls that the Lincolns and their relations left Gentryville, Spencer County, Ind., March 1, 1830.  The party, which faced the ordeal of a frontier journey westward, consisted of thirteen men, women and children.   According to the testimony of one of the two survivors of that party, the following were in it:  Dennis Hanks, his wife, Elizabeth, four children, Harriet, John, Sarah, Jane and Nancy; Squire Hall and his wife, Matilda, and child, John; Thomas Lincoln, his wife, Sarah; his son, Abraham, and step-son, John Johnson.   The party had three covered wagons, of which two were drawn by oxen and one by horses.  There also were two saddle horses.  The little company traveled at the rate of about fifteen miles a day and March 15, 1830, was in the vicinity of Decatur, Ill., 320 miles from the starting point.   Indian trails were followed largely by the party bound for the Sangamon country.  The Illinois end of the commission's investigation begins where the Lincolns crossed the Wabash river into Illinois. Kentucky and Indiana already have initiated the marking of the route, which is pretty well established in both States.   Passed Thru Vincennes, Ind.--Evidence which the commission gathered indicates, almost without dissension, that the Lincolns passed thru Vincennes, Ind.  There is one person, however, who takes exception. This is James K. Raridan, editor of the Charleston Daily News, who in a recent article asserts that the crossing of the Wabash was made at Mount Carmel.   Earlier in the year, however, Mr. Raridan expressed the opinion that Vincennes and Lawrenceville lay along the route.   Evidence, which the commission has procured on the question of crossing the Wabash River into Illinois indicates that the Lincoln party went from Vincennes to Russellville, Ill., by way of Bruceville, and so got into Eastern Illinois.  In this connection the commission has the word of Mrs. Chapman, daughter of Dennis Hanks, who says the Wabash crossing was made the second day after leaving Vincennes.   Passed Thru Palestine--There is a tradition in Palestine, Ill. of the Lincoln party's having passed thru there.  In fact, Miss Ida M. Tarbell in her "Life in Lincoln" recounts that Lincoln once mentioned to friends that he recalled having taken notice that "a large crowd was assembled in front of the land office at Palestine."   The Russellville-Palestine road stretches northward from Palestine to York, says the commission.  From York there appears to have been an Indian trail leading northwest to what now is Melrose.  Another trail led northward from York, two or three miles, then turned westward past old Fort Handy joining the other trail near Melrose.  The latter, in the opinion of the commision, would have offered the fewer obstacles to the party.   Says They Used Second Trail--Abraham Harrison, of Union, Ill., declares the party did go along the second trail and that the travelers remained all night with his family.  The Harrisons and Lincolns were friends in Kentucky.   Harrison says that the party wnet from his home northward, without road or guide, to Grand View, Edgar County, where they remained for some time.  This statement is supported by H. C. Bell, of Washington, D.C., who has interviewed many Clark county pioneers on the subject. Mrs. Chapman, however, denies the party went to Grand View.   The commission found that, even assuming the party did not turn off as Mr. Harrison thinks, they at least arrived at a point on what now is the National road at the site of Martinsville.  From this point, Mrs. Chapman declares, the party made its way to what now is Greenup, Ill., and there crossed the Embarrass.   She further says that the party passed thru what now is Paradise Township of Coles County.   Assuming that the party was at Paradise, the commission found that several questions arise.  Among them, where did the party strike the Paris-Shelbyville road?   Did the party travel this road any distance or did it go in a northwest direction to Macon County?  Did the party go to Shelbyville, then to Decatur?  Some persons believe the party would be inclined to take a northwesternly course from Coles County, thus missing the Kaskaskia bottoms as much as possible.   Lincoln Told of Decatur Stop--When we get to Decatur," says the report, "the ground is much more secure.  Judge J. O. Cunningham, states from personal knowledge that Mr. Lincoln once stood in front of the Courthouse in Decatur and declared that the party had stopped almost on the spot where he then was standing.   "Furthermore that the entry into Decatur was made by a road leading from the south near what now is the Illinois Central right of way. From Decatur to the Lincoln farm in Macon County the rouste seems to have been located several years ago.   "James K. Rardin, of Charleston puts forth the claim that the Lincoln party crossed the Wabash at Vincennes in 1831, passed thru Lawrenceville, thence in a northwesternly direction to Vandalia.  From Vandalia, he says they returned to Paradise, Coles County, where they remained several months with relatives and friends.   H. C. Bell, formerly of Clark County, believes that they went from somewhere near York to Grandview, Edgar County, where they tarried for a while.   That it is advisable further to continue the investigation of the "Lincoln way" at every point, is the conclusion.     ----------------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb Archivist with proof of this consent. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Cindy McCachern