Welcome to Part 4 (and the final part) of The Lincoln Family Chronicles. When we left off on Part 3, Thomas had begun a land dispute (again) and had been kicked off the land at Sinking Springs in 1811. He leased 30 acres of land along Knob Creek just 10 miles from the land he was fighting to keep.
Land Battles Continue
Thomas and Nancy picked up their family and moved again to the new piece of land just along the banks of Knob Creek. Sarah was now 4 years old, and Abraham was only 2. Thomas worked the land for the next 5 years while continuing to fight for his land at Sinking Springs.
President Lincoln’s Childhood
According to the National Park Service’s “Boyhood Home at Knob Creek” web page, this farm would be the one that Abraham would remember.
“Here he learned to talk and soon grew big enough to run errands, such as carrying water and gathering wood for the fires. Abraham recalled in later years numerous memories of his childhood here; a stone house he had passed while taking corn to Hodgen’s Mill; a certain big tree that had attracted his boyish fancy; the old homestead; the clear stream where he fished, and the surrounding hills where he picked berries were all impressed on his mind.”
-https://www.nps.gov/abli/planyourvisit/boyhood-home.htm
Abraham would also remember seeing enslaved African-Americans being taken south along the Louisville-Nashville Turnpike, which ran near the family cabin. It is likely that this event began his aversion to slavery and unpaid labor.
The Loss of a Child
Also, while on Knob Creek, Thomas and Nancy would welcome and say goodbye to their third child, a son, named Thomas Jr. “Tommy,” after his father. It is believed that Tommy lived only three days after becoming ill. Because Thomas was leasing the land, he and Nancy were unable to bury their infant son on the land. Instead, Thomas Jr. was buried “in the Redmon Cemetery on a nearby hill overlooking the Lincoln’s Knob Creek Farm.” (https://www.nps.gov/abli/learn/historyculture/thomas-lincoln-junior.htm)
Loss of the Land
In August of 1816, Thomas lost the battle for Sinking Springs. A dispute over the ownership of Knob Creek erupted as well, so Thomas was soon served a notice of eviction for the 30 acres he was leasing.
In December 1816, Thomas and Nancy once again loaded up their family and moved on down the road. This time, the Lincoln family moved to Perry County, Indiana (now part of Spencer County), where Thomas purchased land directly from the federal government.
Our Visit
We visited Knob Creek when my daughter was four, after visiting Lincoln’s Birthplace. These two stops are easily done in one day. While I was unable to find the photos from that visit, I remember us having a picnic lunch on the property, as well as walking down and along the bank of the creek. As I stated in Part 2, Mordecai’s home is the ONLY original Lincoln home in Kentucky, so the cabin at Abraham’s boyhood home is not the original. The cabin, in fact, is the boyhood home of Abraham’s friend, Austin Gollaher.
Also on the property is The Knob Creek Tavern, a log building built in 1933. It was built to cash in on the tourism boom that occurred during that time, as people traveled to see places connected to Lincoln. It functioned as a dance hall serving alcohol until LaRue County became “dry” in 1942. At that time, it was converted into a museum and gift shop. The building continued as such until 1998, when it was closed.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t much else to see, other than a few history plaques. The area was beautiful, and some of the property could be walked and explored, but that was really all there was.
Visiting Today
UPDATE 7/12/2026: I had the opportunity to revisit the site this past week. Since our visit so many years ago, the tavern has received an update, and it is open to the public. The tavern now houses a Lincoln Museum covering his years on this property. It is a beautiful building, and the museum is very well done. The day I visited, I had the chance to speak with the Park Ranger Larry, who regaled me with the history of Lincoln while a young boy and of the other sites within the state that have connections to our 16th President.
Both Knob Creek and Lincoln’s Birthplace are under the same NPS website.
Reflection
UPDATE 7/12/2026: Knob Creek was an important place in the life of our 16th President. One will never know how things would have been different if he hadn’t been standing along the turnpike to see the enslaved taken away. It is the very small events that can be pivotal in history. There is much to be learned from a visit to Knob Creek. The museum is very well done and deserves a few minutes of your time. The plaques around the property are very informative, so I recommend taking time to see those as well. While there, take a moment to think of Young Abe out on the land, running along the creek and the fields. Try to envision what life was like in a small cabin just like the one on the property. Then take a moment to think about how incredible it was that a poor young boy, born out on the frontier of Kentucky with little education, could go on to become such a transformative President of the United States. That is the American Dream! I highly recommend a visit because the Legacy of our 16th President should not be forgotten.
In Closing
I hope you have enjoyed my 4-part series on the Lincolns and their influence on Kentucky. The Lincoln legacy does not stop here. Lincoln’s Boyhood National Memorial is just a few hours away, near Santa Claus, Indiana, and can be visited. This site was where Thomas and Nancy moved after leaving Kentucky. (Yes, we’ve been there too!) Abraham lived on this property until 1830, and it is where Abraham lost his mother to milk sickness. It too is well worth a visit.
Until next time, Happy Travels!