A few weeks ago, in the midst of the snow that would never melt, we had a warmer day that motivated me to get out of the house and take a little road trip. I wanted to visit the Sarah Bush Lincoln log cabin located within Freeman Lake Park in Elizabethtown, KY. I thought it would be beautiful in the snow, so I jumped in the car and headed out! It turned out to be as beautiful as I expected, and to my surprise, there was more history than I had expected. So, it will take me a minute to get to Sarah Bush Lincoln. Instead, I’ll start with the true history of the site – the Hardin Thomas House.
Hardin Thomas (1752-1837)
Hardin Thomas was born on August 7, 1752, in Prince William County, within the Colony of Virginia. His parents, Owen and Mary Hardin Thomas, were originally from Pennsylvania. There’s little covering Hardin’s history, but according to the Bulletin of the Lincoln National Life Foundation from October 1969, Hardin Thomas fought with General George Rogers Clark during the Revolutionary War. This service is likely what brought Hardin to Kentucky from Virginia, as it did for so many of our Patriots.
We know that Hardin Thomas was in Kentucky by 1789. It was on February 24th of that year that Hardin married Hester Mehetabel “Hetty” Gerrard in Nelson County, KY.
Hetty Gerrard (1769-1839) & Family
Hester Mehetabel “Hetty” Gerrard was born in 1769 at Garards Fort in Colonial Pennsylvania to Reverend John and Susannah VanMeter Gerrard.
Hetty’s father was one of Kentucky’s first Baptist preachers at Severn’s Valley Baptist Church in Severn’s Valley – later to be renamed Elizabethtown, KY. It can be assumed that Reverend Gerrard traveled with his wife and children to Kentucky with his in-laws, the Captain Jacob VanMeter Sr. family, noted in the quote below.
“The Severn’s Valley Baptist Church, now located in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, was evidently the first church planted in the great valley between the Alleghany and Rocky Mountains… During the year 1779 or 1780 Captain Thomas Helm, Colonel Andrew Hynes and Hon. Samuel Haycraft came from Virginia to Kentucky with their families and other emigrants and settled near where Elizabethtown now stands. They built three rude stockades in the dense unexplored forests of the Severn’s Valley. Here on June 18, 1781, under the shade of a large sugar tree the first church in the territory of Kentucky was constituted and took its name from the valley where it was located.
The Church was constituted by Elders William Taylor and Joseph Barnet, on the 18th day of June, 1781, under a green sugar tree between Haynes’ station on the present site of Elizabethtown, about the present town line. There were eighteen members in the original constitution among whom were Jacob Vanmetre, the elder, and Letty Vanmetre, his wife, Jacob Vanmetrer, Jr., Bennam Shaw, three colored persons, Mark, Bambo and Daniel, belonging to Jacob Vammetre, Isaac Dye, and Hannah Dye, and nine others, whose names are not recollected. Elder John Gerrard was constituted with the Church, and set apart as their pastor, and perhaps made one of the eighteen members.”
Sadly, Reverend John Gerrard disappeared within a year of becoming the church’s pastor. “It is believed that he was killed by Indians.” (National Register of Historic Places) Gerrard was never seen again.
Building a Log Cabin
I don’t know how Hardin Thomas met Hetty Gerrard, but as stated above, they were married in 1789. Hardin is believed to have built a one-room cabin shortly after his marriage, on land that had been inherited from Rev. John Gerrard.
“Researchers, architects and dismantling carpenters are of the opinion that the smaller cabin, which was very primitive, was built when Hardin Thomas and his wife came into possession of the land, which was inherited from Mrs. Thomas’ father, Elder John Gerrard, first ordained pastor of the Severns Valley Baptist Church.”
It was in that one-room cabin that the Thomases’ first son, Jack Thomas, was born on February 7, 1790. Their little family grew quickly, and by 1805, the Thomases needed a larger home. It was then that the second, 4-room cabin was constructed.
A Lincoln Connection
Thomas Lincoln, the father of Abraham Lincoln, was a resident of Hardin County, KY, from 1802 to 1816. He was a skilled carpenter and cabinet maker who was often hired for construction work, including cabinet-making and hewing logs for cabins. It was Lincoln who was hired to work on the second cabin for the Thomas family. There is some debate among historians as to the exact work done on the cabin by Lincoln, but it is believed that he helped with the construction of the second cabin, the remodeling of the first cabin from a single story with a loft to a two-story, and the finishing “artisan” touches of cabinets and fireplace mantels.
“Because Thomas Lincoln was a skilled cabinetmaker or joiner, it has been asserted by some that he would not have built the Hardin Thomas house, except the finished woodwork. Perhaps he did both. His carpenter’s work ranged all the way from Geoghegan’s mill to the beautiful mantelpiece (from the Hardin Thomas house) now located in the Lincoln Room of the Armor Center Officer’s Open Mess at Fort Knox, Kentucky.”
The two cabins featured fieldstone chimneys, poplar rafters, poplar flooring, and staircases to the second floor. Handmade nails were used in the construction of the second 4-room cabin. It is believed that the two cabins were connected and enclosed at the time of the 2nd cabin’s construction.
Left to Right: The breezeway between the cabins, the fieldstone chimney, the backside of the cabins, and a view of the smaller cabin through the window shows the interior fireplace. / All Photos Property of KHT
The Thomas Family Cemetery
Hardin Thomas was said to have been loved by all his neighbors. He spent his entire life as a farmer with absolutely no aspirations for political office. He and Hetty raised at least six children in their little log home.
Hardin passed away in 1837 and was buried in the family cemetery on their property, just a few feet from their home. Hetty was buried beside Hardin just two years later. That cemetery now holds many other family members as well as additional individuals. It is known as the Miller-Thomas Cemetery. It was restored by the Lincoln Heritage Group and remains in good condition and seems well cared for, but of course, it was winter when I visited.
The Family Cemetery near the Hardin Thomas Cabin / All Photos Property of KHT
Christopher Bryan Miller (1768-1828)
As I stated at the beginning of this post, I came across more history than I expected on this trip to Freeman Park. Finding Christopher Miller buried in the cemetery with Hardin Thomas was bonus history. I didn’t know a thing about this individual, so let me tell you what I learned.
Christopher Miller was the son of Ernest and Margaret Lindeman Miller. At the age of 14, Christopher was taken by a party of Shawnee Indians to their camp near Ohio. He was held captive for 11 years. During the time with the Shawnee, he learned several tribal languages and learned their ways as a hunter and warrior. In March 1794, he was rescued by Army General Anthony Wayne’s spies and taken to nearby Fort Greenville, located in Ohio. Miller was convinced to become a spy for the General, and for the next few months, he obtained valuable information as to the movements of the native tribes.
In 1799, Miller married Mary Walls, daughter of General George Wall. The couple would have several children together.
During the War of 1812, Miller was an essential part of Kentucky’s “tactical intelligence system in the Northwest.” (See photo of onsite signage below.) Captain Miller led one of four companies that made up Major Dubois Touisant’s Battalion of Mounted Spies.
After the war, Miller returned to Elizabethtown. He served as sheriff and justice of the peace, and later served in the Kentucky State Legislature as a Representative from 1818-1819 and in the Senate from 1822-1823.
One of Christopher and Mary’s daughters, Sallie, married Thomas Hart Thomas. Thomas was the son of Hardin Thomas. That is how Christopher and Mary came to be buried in the cemetery with the Hardin Thomas family.
The Legacy of the Hardin Thomas Home
As you can imagine, the cabins changed hands over time, with other families living in the home. In the late 1960s, the City of Elizabethtown purchased the farm to establish Freeman Lake Watershed and City Park. It was then that the cabins were restored, removing the weatherboarding that had been added over the years, and returning the first cabin to its original one story with a loft. The restoration was completed by the Hardin County Historical Society and opened to the public on June 24, 1973.
The Hardin Thomas House before restoration. Photo from Lincoln Lore, 1969. Originally photographed by Mrs. M.S. Richerson
In 2009, the cabins were damaged by fire, requiring a rebuild using historic building materials that included salvaged timbers. The rebuild was completed in 2011. According to the Elizabethtown Tourism website, tours of the cabins are available on the first Saturday and Sunday of each month from 1 pm to 4 pm.
I really believe that had it not been for the work done by Thomas Lincoln on this cabin, it probably would never have been saved and restored. I’m thrilled that it has been saved, as we have so few cabins remaining today, especially of this size. I hope that E-town and the Hardin County Historical Society continue to care for this extraordinary piece of Kentucky’s heritage.
The Sarah Bush Johnston Lincoln Memorial Cabin
Now, we finally arrive at the cabin that took me to Elizabethtown to begin with. You see, a few weeks ago, I wrote a Facebook post about the 1817 William Bush House, also located in Hardin County, KY. (You can read that post here.) While researching that home’s connection to Sarah Bush Johnston Lincoln, I came across the memorial cabin at Freeman Park. That’s when I decided I needed to take the trip to see the cabin dedicated to President Abraham Lincoln’s stepmother.
After first stopping at the Hardin Thomas House, I drove down the park road just a bit and pulled up to Sarah’s memorial cabin. It was so small compared to the log home I had just seen. Sarah’s cabin was about the size I expected it to be. When I think of a Kentucky log cabin, Abraham Lincoln’s birthplace cabin comes to mind. Sarah’s cabin just might be a bit smaller than that one. Anyway, I took a few minutes to photograph the cabin and then read the informational signs on site. It was then that I learned that Sarah’s cabin was not original to the site or to her.
Instead, this 14’x14′ cabin was built in 1992 (Kentucky’s bicentennial year) from 122-year-old hand-hewn logs. It was built to be an almost exact replica of the cabin Sarah was living in when she married Thomas Lincoln on December 2, 1819. The cabin was built to remember the “Most Famous Stepmother in American History.” I’d have to say, the cabin has done its job, at least for me anyway. I hadn’t remembered that Thomas Lincoln had remarried, and I certainly didn’t know that Abraham Lincoln’s stepmother was from Elizabethtown.
Being a born-and-raised Kentuckian, I know the story of the birth of our 16th President. I’ve written four posts on the historic sites in Kentucky tied to the Lincoln family, and if I’ve written about them, you know we’ve visited them all. When my daughter was about seven years old, we took a trip to the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial in Lincoln City, Indiana, to the site where Lincoln’s mother passed away from “milk sickness” in 1818, when Abraham was just nine years old. We also visited the Mary Todd Lincoln House in Lexington when my daughter was about 12 years old.
With all this Lincoln family knowledge, I’m really not sure how I missed such a significant individual in Abraham Lincoln’s life, but somehow I did! So, if you are like me and missed the memo on this famous lady, I’ll take just a few minutes to give you her story.
The Most Famous Stepmother in American History
Sarah Bush was born in present-day Elizabethtown, KY, on December 13, 1788, to Christopher and Hannah Davis Bush. (At the time, the area was known as Severn’s Valley.) In 1806, Sarah married Daniel Johnston. The couple had three children together: Elizabeth, John, and Matilda, between 1807 and 1811. Daniel Johnston died of cholera in 1816, leaving Sarah penniless as he was actually “deeply in debt.” (NPS) For the next two years, Sarah did the best she could to care for herself and her three children. She moved into a 14’x14′ log cabin owned by Samuel Haycraft. (Haycraft was an early settler and founder of Severn’s Valley. He also employed the young Thomas Lincoln.)
In the Fall of 1819, Sarah was visited by an old acquaintance named Thomas Lincoln.
“In 1819, Thomas Lincoln returned to Elizabethtown, a widower himself by this time, with hopes of finding a new wife and mother for his children. Having known Sarah before he moved to Indiana, and knowing she was a widow, he paid her a visit and asked her to marry him. Sarah replied that she could not marry him until she had paid her debts. Upon hearing this, Thomas agreed to pay the debts himself.”
Thomas and Sarah were married on December 2, 1819. Sarah packed up her little cabin and her three children and moved to Indiana with Thomas and his two children, Sarah and Abraham. There, Sarah worked to combine their two families into one.
Left – the front view of Sarah Bush Lincoln’s Memorial Cabin. Right – rearview of the cabin / Photos Property of KHT
Sarah Bush Lincoln soon learned that Abraham was extremely smart and had a thirst for knowledge. He had a passion for reading, and Sarah supported that passion by gifting Abraham three books she had brought with her from Kentucky. Books were priceless out on the frontier, and the gift left an “indelible impression” on Abraham.
“The two quickly developed a close, intimate,mother-son relationship that would continue for the rest of Abraham’s life.
Even as an adult, Abraham remained close to his stepmother, whom he always referred to as “Mother.” “
~ NPS
The Lincoln family later moved to Illinois. It was there that both Thomas and Sarah passed away. Thomas Lincoln in 1851, and Sarah Bush Lincoln in 1869. They were buried next to one another in the Shiloh Cemetery in Pleasant Grove Township, Coles County, Illinois.
My Visit and Reflection
Those who have followed my blog for a while will know that I LOVED this visit! The history at this park was such a surprise, and the setting was just gorgeous. The snow was the icing on the cake. I’m sure the park is beautiful in the Spring as well, but there was something special about the blanket of white, the smell of snow and ice, and the reflection of the sun off the snow. I was so right to have used the warmer day to get out and visit before the snow completely melted.
I love that this location was chosen to build Sarah Bush Lincoln’s memorial cabin. The connection of Thomas Lincoln to the Hardin Thomas House, just a few feet away from Sarah’s cabin, is perfect. Both overlook the lake, and it’s just so picturesque.
The cabins were not open for tours the day I visited. I didn’t think that they would be, but I did take a moment to peek in the windows. The interiors of both the Hardin Thomas Home and Sarah Lincoln’s Memorial Cabin need some straightening and upkeep. There were broken windows on both cabins, so I suspect some critters may have been using the cabins for homes. In addition, Sarah’s cabin had holes in the roof. I hope repairs will be made in the Spring and the interiors cleaned up for visitors.
In addition to the log cabins, you’ll also find the Summit One-Room School House within the park. The school was originally built in 1892 in the Summit Community of Hardin County, KY. The school was in use through 1953. The building was moved to Freeman Lake Park in September 1978 for preservation. Renovations began in 1980, and on July 11, 1982, the school was rededicated. According to the Elizabethtown Tourism website, tours are available on the same days and times as the Hardin Thomas House.
All Photos from Freeman Lake City Park Property of KHT
I do hope that if you are in the area, you take a moment to visit the historic buildings within the park. I also hope to revisit on a weekend when the buildings are open for tours. I’d truly love to see the interiors of all these buildings from the inside rather than a reflective pane of glass.
Go on, get out and see Freeman Lake Park and all the history it has to offer. I truly believe you’ll be glad you did!
I love when a quick snowy road trip turns into a full deep dive into local stories. The connection to Thomas Lincoln and learning more about Sarah Bush Lincoln is so fascinating and she really doesn’t get enough credit! And those cabins in the snow sound so peaceful and picturesque.
It was so peacefully quiet, other than the geese on the frozen pond. đź’š
Beautiful post. Thanks for sharing
Thank you so much for the compliment! I’m thrilled you enjoyed it. đź’š