y?3.7L63 
 C2In22l 
 
 The Lincoln memorial Way 
 Tnrougn Indiana - report of 
 Commission to designate 
 historic Lincoln Route 
 
LINCOLN ROOM 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
 LIBRARY 
 
THE 
 
 LINCOLN 
 MEMORIAL 
 WAY 
 
 THROUGH 
 INDIANA 
 
 HISTORIC 
 
 LINCOLN 
 
 ROUTE 
 
THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL WAY 
 
 THROUGH 
 INDIANA 
 
 REPORT OF COMMISSION 
 
 appointed by 
 
 GOVERNOR HARRY G. LESLIE 
 
 to designate 
 
 HISTORIC LINCOLN ROUTE 
 
 ARTHUR F. HALL, Fort Wayne, President 
 
 J. I. HOLCOMB, Indianapolis, Secretary 
 RICHARD LIEBER, Indianapolis 
 JESS L MURDEN, Peru 
 
 CURTIS G. SHAKE, Vincennes 
 

 CONTENTS 
 
 Page 
 
 Foreword 4 
 
 Transmittal and Acceptance 5 
 
 Governor's Letter of Acceptance 6 
 
 Part One — Lincoln Autobiographical Sketch 7 
 
 Part Two — History of the Lincoln Memorial Way 9 
 
 Part Three— Appointment of the Present Commission 13 
 
 Part Four — Resolutions on Procedure 14 
 
 Part Five- — Briefs Submitted to the Commission 17 
 
 Part Six — Digests from Briefs on 1816 Migration 18 
 
 Part Seven — Resolution of the Kentucky Commission 24 
 
 Part Eight — Observations on the 1816 Migration 26 
 
 Part Nine — Digests from Briefs on 1830 Migration 29 
 
 Part Ten — Observations on the 1830 Migration 44 
 
 Part Eleven — Resolutions Submitted to Governor Leslie 61 
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 Lincoln Memorial Way and Contesting Routes 2 
 
 Lincoln Migration, 1816 19 
 
 Post Roads. 1829 53 
 
 <f3j>- 
 
FOREWORD 
 
 This report is submitted in printed form in order to recognize the 
 very commendable effort put forth by the several organized groups 
 which have carefully prepared evidence bearing on the proposed Lin- 
 coln Memorial Way. It is to be regretted that the complete text of all 
 these briefs cannot be printed but this would necessitate a book of at 
 least 400 pages, nearly 350 pages of printed and typewritten material 
 having been prepared for consideration. 
 
 The Indiana Lincoln Memorial Way Commission wishes to express 
 its appreciation for the splendid cooperation offered by the various 
 community groups in supplying the valuable data which it has been 
 able to use as its chief source of information. 
 
 The Commission is grateful also to Governor Harry G. Leslie for 
 his continued interest in this effort and his generosity in making pos- 
 sible the publication of this printed report. 
 
 <4$> 
 
TRANSMITTAL AND ACCEPTANCE 
 
 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL 
 
 Honorable Harry G. Leslie, 
 
 Governor, 
 
 State of Indiana. 
 
 Dear Mr. Governor : 
 
 Your Commission appointed by you September 18, 1930, and co- 
 operating with similar official bodies in the States of Kentucky and 
 Illinois for the purpose of ascertaining as closely as possible the route 
 traveled by the Lincoln group in 1816 from its crossing of the Ohio 
 river to the present site of Lincoln City and thence in 1830 to Vincennes, 
 begs to submit to you the attached report. 
 
 Very respectfully yours, 
 
 C^<^^^^^^^i^7 
 
 Jess L. Murden 
 
 £%£ \J%tir?yv' 
 
 Richard Lieber 
 
 Curtis G. Shake 
 
 Indianapolis, 
 March 24, 1932. 
 
 ■4 5 fc- 
 
LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE 
 
 To the Gentlemen of the Lincoln Memorial Way Commission, 
 Arthur F. Hall, Chairman. 
 Dear Mr. Hall: 
 
 I acknowledge receipt of your communication of February 24, 
 1932, and in accepting the same I wish to express to you and to the 
 members of your Commission my appreciation and great thanks for 
 the painstaking thoroughness as well as for the careful attention to 
 detail in your research. 
 
 I have asked the State Highway Commission to proceed with their 
 plans of acquisition of the needed right-of-way and construction of the 
 memorial highway as outlined in your report. 
 
 Very truly yours, 
 
 Indianapolis, 
 
 March 25, 1932. Governor of Indiana. 
 
 P^o^dJ^ 
 
 46 J*> 
 
PART ONE 
 
 Lincoln Autobiographical Sketch 
 
 IT seems timely that some statement by Abraham Lincoln himself, 
 which covers the early part of his life, should be incorporated in 
 
 this report. An autobiographical sketch written by Abraham Lin- 
 coln in the third person, which was presented to John Locke Scripps, a 
 newspaper correspondent, is the most complete of all his efforts. From 
 this original composition an excerpt is made covering the history of 
 Lincoln from the time of his birth to the date of his arrival in Illinois. 
 
 "Abraham Lincoln was born February 12, 1809, then in Hardin, 
 now in the more recently formed county of La Rue, Kentucky. His 
 father, Thomas, and grandfather, Abraham, were born in Rockingham 
 County, Virginia, whither their ancestors had come from Berks County, 
 Pennsylvania. . . . The present subject has no brother or sister of 
 the whole or half blood. He had a sister, older than himself, who was 
 grown and married, but died many years ago, leaving no child; also a 
 brother, younger than himself, who died in infancy. Before leaving 
 Kentucky, he and his sister were sent for short periods, to A B C 
 schools, the first kept by Zachariah Riney, and the second by Caleb 
 Hazel. 
 
 "At this time his father resided on Knob Creek, on the road from 
 Bardstown, Kentucky, to Nashville, Tennessee, at a point three or three 
 and a half miles south or southwest of Atherton's Ferry, on the Rolling 
 Fork. From this place he removed to what is now Spencer County, 
 Indiana, in the autumn of 1816, Abraham then being in his eighth year. 
 This removal was partly on account of slavery, but chiefly on account 
 of the difficulty in land titles in Kentucky. He settled in an unbroken 
 forest, and the clearing away of surplus wood was the great task ahead. 
 Abraham, though very young, was large of his age, and had an ax put 
 into his hands at once; and from that till within his twenty-third year 
 he was almost constantly handling that most useful instrument — less, of 
 course, in plowing and harvesting seasons. At this place Abraham took 
 an early start as a hunter, which was never much improved afterward. 
 A few days before the completion of his eighth year, in the absence of 
 his father, a flock of wild turkeys approached the new log cabin, and 
 Abraham with a rifle-gun, standing inside, shot through a crack and 
 killed one of them. He has never since pulled a trigger on any larger 
 
 ~4 7 fc- 
 
game. In the autumn of 1818 his mother died; and a year afterward 
 his father married Mrs. Sally Johnston, at Elizabethtown, Kentucky, a 
 widow with three children of her first marriage. She proved a good 
 and kind mother to Abraham, and is still living in Coles County, Illi- 
 nois. There were no children of this second marriage. His father's 
 residence continued at the same place in Indiana till 1830. While here 
 Abraham went to A B C schools by littles, kept successively by Andrew 
 Crawford, Sweeney, and Azel W. Dorsey. He does not remem- 
 ber any other. The family of Mr. Dorsey now resides in Schuyler 
 County, Illinois. Abraham now thinks that the aggregate of all his 
 schooling did not amount to one year. He was never in a college or 
 academy as a student, and never inside of a college or academy building 
 till since he had a law license. What he has in the way of education 
 he has picked up. After he was twenty-three and had separated from 
 his father, he studied English grammar — imperfectly, of course, but so 
 as to speak and write as well as he now does. He studied and nearly 
 mastered the six books of Euclid since he was a member of Congress. 
 He regrets his want of education, and does what he can to supply the 
 want. In his tenth year he was kicked by a horse, and apparently 
 killed for a time. When he was nineteen, still residing in Indiana, he 
 made his first trip upon a flatboat to New Orleans. He was a hired 
 hand merely, and he and a son of the owner, without other assistance, 
 made the trip. The nature of part of the 'cargo-load,' as it was called, 
 made it necessary for them to linger and trade along the sugar-coast; 
 and one night they were attacked by seven negroes with intent to kill 
 and rob them. They were hurt some in the melee, but succeeded in 
 driving the negroes from the boat, and then 'cut cable,' 'weighed an- 
 chor,' and left. 
 
 "March 1, 1830, Abraham having just completed his twenty-first 
 year, his father and family, with the families of the two daughters and 
 sons-in-law of his stepmother, left the old homestead in Indiana and 
 came to Illinois. Their mode of conveyance was wagons drawn by 
 ox-teams, and Abraham drove one of the teams. They reached the 
 county of Macon, and stopped there some time within the month of 
 March. His father and family settled a new place on the north side 
 of the Sangamon River, at the junction of the timberland and prairie, 
 about ten miles westerly from Decatur. Here they built a log cabin, 
 into which they removed, and made sufficient of rails to fence ten acres 
 of ground, fenced and broke the ground, and raised a crop of sown 
 corn upon it the same year." 
 
PART TWO 
 
 History of the Lincoln Memorial Way 
 
 THE early biographers who had occasion to visit the Kentucky, 
 Indiana, and Illinois home sites of Abraham Lincoln were the 
 first ones who gave any thought to the available arteries of travel 
 which connected these three communities. 
 
 The growing fame of Lincoln and the development of shrines at 
 these points were contributing factors to the increasing interest which 
 centered about these three widely separated localities. 
 
 It was not until the introduction of the automobile that much at- 
 tention was paid to the possibility of making a continuous pilgrimage 
 from the birthplace in Kentucky to the burial site in Illinois, passing 
 by the home location in Indiana. 
 
 These first itineraries were made with but one object in view — the 
 choosing of the best roads which connected with these sites irrespective 
 of any specified route. It appears that short stretches of road in all 
 three of the states soon became recognized as highways over which 
 Lincoln traveled at some time, and the idea finally took root that in 
 visiting these three shrines it would add much to the pleasure of the 
 observer if he felt he was following the route which Lincoln himself 
 followed from Hodgenville, Kentucky, to Springfield, Illinois, by the 
 way of what is now Lincoln City, Indiana. 
 
 This desire which made itself felt by the people who were travel- 
 ing between these points in greater number each year caused this ques- 
 tion to be asked, "Which way did the Lincolns go?" And this is the 
 question that brought into being the three commissions which are now 
 laboring over this problem, and the other commissions which have con- 
 tributed to this inquiry in the past. 
 
 The first published accounts of what had been done on this project 
 previous to the year 1915 are to be found in the reports of the Board 
 of Trustees of the Illinois State Historical Society. A preliminary 
 printed report under the caption The Lincoln Way was released by the 
 trustees in 1913, giving an account of the investigation made by C. M. 
 Thompson. In 1915 a more extensive report was prepared under the 
 title Investigation of the Lincoln Way. 
 
 4 9 fc- 
 
In the preparation of this last publication there are set forth the 
 preliminary resolutions of both the Kentucky and the Illinois groups 
 to establish a road to be known as the "Lincoln Way." 
 
 A copy of these resolutions follows: 
 
 Urbana, Illinois, February 20, 1915. 
 To the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives of the 
 
 Forty-Ninth General Assembly. 
 
 Gentlemen: 
 
 The Forty-Seventh General Assembly adopted the following as 
 House Joint Resolution No. 25: 
 
 "WHEREAS, The People of the State of Illinois, ever mindful of 
 their deep and lasting obligation to Abraham Lincoln, and with abiding 
 love and reverence do strive continually to honor his name and memory ; 
 and 
 
 "WHEREAS, It is the sense of the People of Illinois that a fitting 
 and permanent memorial to the memory of the great emancipator would 
 be the consecration and dedication of the route that he traveled from 
 the place of his birth in Kentucky, through Indiana, and thence to his 
 tomb at Springfield, to be known forever as the 'Lincoln Way'; and, 
 
 "WHEREAS, At its last session the legislature of Kentucky enacted 
 a law naming the route over which Abraham Lincoln traveled from his 
 home at Hodgeville (Hodgensville) to Indiana, 'The Lincoln Way,' 
 and, in the hope that the State of Indiana will join the states of Ken- 
 tucky and Illinois in establishing and completing this fitting memorial : 
 therefore, be it 
 
 "Resolved, by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring 
 therein, That the Board of Trustees of the Illinois State Historical 
 Library be and they are hereby requested to make the necessary investi- 
 gations to determine the exact route traveled by Abraham Lincoln in 
 his removal from Kentucky to Illinois, and to report to the General 
 Assembly at as early a date as possible, and make such recommenda- 
 tions as they deem advisable to carry out the purposes of this reso- 
 lution." 
 
 Although the Kentucky Legislature adopted its resolution with ref- 
 erence to the Lincoln Way in 1910 and the Illinois House and Senate 
 authorized the selection of the route a year later, it was not until 1915 
 that the Legislature of Indiana took the following action with respect 
 to the road: 
 
 -sJlOfc-- 
 
"WHEREAS, the State of Illinois has been endeavoring through a 
 commission authorized by its Legislature to determine and mark the 
 route from the Wabash river westward through Illinois traveled by 
 Abraham Lincoln and his father's family when they emigrated from 
 Indiana in 1830, therefore, 
 
 "BE IT ENACTED, By the General Assembly of the State of In- 
 diana: that the Governor shall within 30 days after this act takes effect 
 appoint a commission consisting of two persons, who shall serve with- 
 out compensation, but shall be allowed traveling, hotel, and other 
 necessary expenses in connection with their investigation, which sums 
 are to be paid on warrants approved by both members of the com- 
 mission. 
 
 "It shall be the duty of said commission to make a careful inquiry, 
 with a view to determining the route through Indiana traveled by Abra- 
 ham Lincoln and his father's family when they removed from their 
 home near the town of Gentryville, in Spencer County, Indiana, to 
 Macon County, Illinois, in 1830. The commission shall have power to 
 administer oaths and compel the attendance of witnesses and the pro- 
 duction of books and newspapers necessary to its investigation. After 
 the conclusion of its inquiry it shall report the results of its labors to 
 the Governor before the next regular meeting of the General Assembly. 
 
 "The sum of five hundred dollars is hereby appropriated for the 
 purpose of carrying out the provisions of this act." 
 
 In compliance with the foregoing law the Governor appointed 
 Joseph M. Cravens, of Madison, and Jesse W. Weik, of Greencastle, 
 members of the Commission. 
 
 Four years after Mr. Thompson began his studies under the direc- 
 tion of the Board of Trustees of the Illinois State Historical Library, 
 his findings were submitted to the legislature. In a little less than two 
 years after their appointment, Messrs. Cravens and Weik, the Indiana 
 Commissioners, on December 15, 1916, prepared a report for the 
 Governor. 
 
 In a letter written under the date of October 3, 1919, Joe S. Boggs, 
 commissioner of the Department of Public Roads for the State of Ken- 
 tucky, stated that "no investigation as to the construction of a highway 
 known as the 'Lincoln Way' in Kentucky has been made." 
 
 No definite action was taken by any one of the three states with 
 respect to building the road, and interest in the project began to wane. 
 At no time, however, did those living along the contemplated routes 
 
 -dl 11 J>- 
 
abandon the hope that a road would be built eventually. In the Decem- 
 ber, 1926, number of the Indiana History Bulletin, which recorded the 
 proceedings of the Southwestern Indiana Historical Society, the address 
 of William L. Barker on the "History of the Lincoln Route" is pub- 
 lished. On February 12, 1927, Kate Milner Rabb contributed to the 
 Indianapolis Star an article on the Lincoln route, furnishing a map to 
 visualize the road. 
 
 Later in the same year, Representative Rathburn introduced a bill 
 in Congress for the building of a highway to be known as the Lincoln 
 Memorial Road, following the route the Lincolns took in migrating 
 from Kentucky to Indiana and then on to Illinois. The following year 
 considerable agitation was built up in Hardin County, Kentucky, over 
 the probable route the Lincolns followed. 
 
 Illinois then began to form Lincoln Memorial Highway associa- 
 tions which finally resulted in the appointment of a commission by 
 Governor Emmerson, to mark out the route. Some time after this, 
 Governor Sampson, of Kentucky, appointed a commission for the same 
 purpose, and Governor Leslie brought Indiana into line by selecting 
 five men to establish the Indiana route. 
 
 It is not the purpose of this brief history of the Lincoln Memorial 
 Way to discuss further developments which have taken place in Ken- 
 tucky or Illinois except as they directly effect the work of the Indiana 
 Commission. 
 
 The present movement to locate the Lincoln Memorial Way in the 
 state is by no means a new project, but a revival of interest which has 
 been agitated more or less since the commission was appointed by 
 Governor Ralston in 1915. In Indiana, at least, the project is still 
 concerned with the original idea of building a memorial highway from 
 Lincoln's cradle to his grave, following as closely as possible the route 
 through the state, taken by the family at the time of the 1816 and 1830 
 migrations. 
 
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PART THREE 
 
 Appointment of Present Commission 
 
 The present Indiana Lincoln Memorial Way Commission, chosen 
 to select the route which the highway should follow through In- 
 diana, was appointed by Governor Harry G. Leslie on September 
 18, 1930, and consists of the following members: 
 
 Arthur F. Hall, Fort Wayne; J. I. Holcomb, Indianapolis; Jess L. 
 Murden, Peru; Curtis G. Shake, Vincennes; and Richard Lieber, 
 Indianapolis. 
 
 The Governor stated that "the Commission is authorized to proceed 
 with the undertaking along the lines that they think best." 
 
 At the meeting of the Commission, for the purpose of organization, 
 the following officers were elected: 
 
 President, Arthur F. Hall; Secretary, J. I. Holcomb. The Com- 
 mission also voted to invite Dr. Louis A. Warren, Director of the Lin- 
 coln Historical Research Foundation, to serve as historian of the Com- 
 mission. 
 
 The Governor had in mind, at the time of selecting these men, the 
 different viewpoints and qualifications of the individuals named, which 
 he felt would guarantee a thorough and unprejudiced investigation free 
 from provincial influences and personal ambitions. 
 
 Mr. Arthur F. Hall, the president of the Commission, is president 
 of The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company of Fort Wayne. He 
 is a recognized executive and a lifelong admirer of Abraham Lincoln. 
 
 Mr. J. I. Holcomb, the secretary, a large industrialist of Indian- 
 apolis, is the president of the Indiana Lincoln Union, which is cooperat- 
 ing with the State of Indiana in creating a national monument for Nancy 
 Hanks Lincoln and her illustrious son. 
 
 Mr. Jess L. Murden, of Peru, Indiana, was at the time of his ap- 
 pointment a member of the State Highway Commission. 
 
 Mr. Curtis G. Shake is an attorney at Vincennes, who was one of 
 the committee of three to set in motion the present movement in Indiana 
 to arouse interest in the building of the highway. 
 
 Mr. Richard Lieber, director of the State Department of Conserva- 
 tion, and executive chairman of the Indiana Lincoln Union, has de- 
 veloped a state-wide system of parks and historic monuments. 
 
 ■4 13$=- 
 
This Commission consists of an executive of a large institution, 
 the president of the Indiana Lincoln Union, a highway expert, an attor- 
 ney, and the director of the Indiana park system. They called in Dr. 
 Louis A. Warren, director of the Lincoln Historical Research Founda- 
 tion, and an authority on the life of Lincoln, to assist them in compiling 
 the data to be gathered. 
 
 Inasmuch as but one member of the Commission resides in the ter- 
 ritory where the highway is to be built, and he lives at the extreme west- 
 ern terminal of the road, it can be truthfully said that no influence of a 
 provincial nature found expression in the deliberations of the Com- 
 mission. 
 
 PART FOUR 
 
 Resolutions on Procedure 
 
 At one of the regular meetings of the Commission held at Indianap- 
 yy olis on April 16, 1931, the following resolutions were adopted 
 unanimously: 
 
 1. That the Indiana Lincoln Memorial Highway Commission 
 adopt as a tentative route over which the Lincoln family travelled from 
 Lincoln City to Vincennes in 1830, a road passing through the towns 
 designated by the Cravens-Weik report to Governor Ralston on Decem- 
 ber 15, 1916. 
 
 2. Due to the fact that no official report was made of the route the 
 Lincolns travelled from some point on the Indiana side of the Ohio to 
 Lincoln City in 1816, and inasmuch as two points, Troy and the mouth 
 of Anderson Creek, are mentioned by the Cravens-Weik Commission in 
 their deliberations, the route from Troy to Lincoln City be designated 
 as a part of the tentative route in Indiana. 
 
 3. As it does not fall within the jurisdiction of the Indiana Com- 
 mission to determine where the Lincoln family crossed the Ohio river 
 in the year 1816 in the event that the Kentucky Commission finds the 
 crossing at some other place than Troy, the road between that point of 
 crossing and Troy is hereby made a section of the tentative route. 
 
 ■4 14 p- 
 
4. That the entire tentative route through the State of Indiana be 
 divided into seven sections as follows: 
 
 Lincoln Memorial Highway in Indiana 
 Sections of Route 
 
 1. Ohio River Terminal of Kentucky Route to Troy. 
 
 2. Troy to Lincoln City. 
 
 3. Lincoln City to Dale. 
 
 4. Dale to Jasper. 
 
 5. Jasper to Petersburg via Ireland, Otwell, and Algiers. 
 
 6. Petersburg to Vincennes. 
 
 7. Vincennes to Wabash River Terminal of Illinois Route. 
 
 5. The Commission invites any organized group of not less than 
 ten to furnish briefs containing documentary evidence to support the 
 fact that a wagon road passed through their respective communities on 
 the tentative route as early as the respective migration, and that the 
 Lincolns passed over this route; also to furnish briefs in refutation of 
 any alternative routes which may be proposed. 
 
 6. The Commission also invites any organized group living in a 
 community not on the tentative route to prepare briefs in refutation of 
 the Cravens-Weik findings or supply written evidence supporting some 
 other route over which the Lincolns may have traveled. 
 
 7. The historian of the Commission is authorized and instructed 
 to furnish to any organized group or groups, upon request, informa- 
 tion about sections of road not included in the tentative route which 
 the Commission may have under consideration. 
 
 8. That no public hearing be arranged, but briefs may be pre- 
 pared which must be in the hands of the Commission by September 1, 
 1931. Five legible copies of each brief shall be submitted. 
 
 These resolutions by order of the Commission were made available 
 to newspapers published within the interested territory. 
 
 The adoption of a tentative route not only seemed expedient, but 
 the Commission was very anxious to recognize the efforts which had 
 been put forth by the Governor Ralston Commission in 1915 and 1916. 
 Mr. Cravens and Mr. Weik were able to give considerable time to their 
 investigations, and to ignore their conclusions would be a reflection on 
 the purpose of the present commission to weigh carefully all the evi- 
 dence which would be made available. 
 
 The route designated by the Commission was therefore made the 
 tentative route around which all evidence would first be assembled. 
 
 ■< 15 fc- 
 
The dividing of the route into sections, it was thought, would systema- 
 tize the work. 
 
 How the evidence in the hands of the various groups known to have 
 collected information might best be laid before the Commission was 
 another important consideration. Careful observation led to the de- 
 cision that the data should be presented in the form of briefs. 
 
 First, economy of both time and money for all parties interested 
 was largely responsible for arriving at this decision. The members of 
 the Commission living in widely separated communities would find it 
 impossible to attend frequent meetings where it would be necessary for 
 all to be present, the traveling to any given point consuming more 
 time than the meetings themselves. Economy in expenses would also 
 have to be considered, as the Commission received no appropriation 
 whatever to carry on its investigations. The same saving of time and 
 money would be realized by those who might find it necessary to spend 
 several days and travel many miles to get their oral testimony before 
 the Commission. 
 
 The second factor which seemed to favor the preparing of briefs 
 was the reducing of the personal equation in the deliberations to a mini- 
 mum. With public hearings giving way to the preparing of written 
 testimony, there would be no danger of conflicting oratory with facts 
 and drawing conclusions from demonstrations and enthusiasm rather 
 than from an orderly arrangement of data. The program of conduct- 
 ing hearings with fairness to all contestants could not possibly be ar- 
 ranged with equal fairness to the groups interested. 
 
 A third and important factor contributing to the decision that a 
 brief should be presented to each member of the Commission was the 
 desire that the several individuals comprising the Commission would 
 have all the data before them for their own personal consideration and 
 draw their own conclusions from the data without being influenced in 
 their conclusions by other members of the Commission. This would 
 assure an unprejudiced and fair decision. 
 
 Therefore it was concluded that any information of value must 
 be put in writing, and maps, charts, or pictures should be used for the 
 purpose of visualization. This decision to put all evidence in writing 
 and to have no public hearing or conference has contributed much to- 
 wards allowing the Commission to arrive at a fair and just decision. 
 
 ■4 16 f=- 
 
PART FIVE 
 
 Briefs Submitted to the Commission 
 
 IN response to the announcement that briefs from organized groups 
 of not less than ten members would be invited up to September 1, 
 1931, arguments from the following organizations were in the hands 
 of the individual members of the Commission by the specified time: 
 Cannelton Chamber of Commerce. 
 
 Corydon, Indiana, Lincoln Memorial Highway Association. 
 Daviess County Memorial Way Association. 
 Gentryville Lincoln Memorial Way Association. 
 Lincoln Ferry Memorial Association. 
 Milltown Business Men's Club. 
 Princeton Rotary, Kiwanis, and Advertising Clubs. 
 Selvin Community Group. 
 The Buffalo Trace Historical Association. 
 Vincennes Chamber of Commerce. 
 Warrick County Lincoln Route Association. 
 
 The contents of these briefs made it necessary for the Commission 
 to create two distinct and discriminating atmospheres for studying the 
 migrations of the Lincolns. During the interval of fourteen years from 
 1816, the time when the Lincolns arrived in Indiana, and 1830, the date 
 on which they left the state, the commonwealth had grown from fifteen 
 counties to fifty-eight counties. The population had a remarkable in- 
 crease during this period which allowed Indiana to emerge from a 
 wilderness condition to one which was well traversed with roads in 
 every direction, sufficiently marked and opened for the thousands of 
 new inhabitants to move their household goods into nearly every com- 
 munity in the southern part of the state at least. 
 
 When the Lincolns arrived in 1816 there were but 63,000 people 
 in Indiana, but by the year 1830 when they left, there were 341,582 
 inhabitants in the state. 
 
 The conditions surrounding the two migrations were so different 
 that it became necessary to make two separate studies of the situation 
 based on entirely different backgrounds. The first task was to study 
 the briefs which referred to the migration from Kentucky to Indiana 
 in 1816. 
 
 ••=!{ 17 fc- 
 
PART SIX 
 
 Digests from Briefs on 1816 Migration 
 
 THE briefs presented by the groups interested in the 1816 migra- 
 tion first engaged the attention of the Commission. The follow- 
 ing organizations submitted evidence sustaining certain routes said 
 to have been traveled by the Lincolns from the point at which they 
 crossed the Ohio to the Lincoln home site in Spencer County: 
 Cannelton Chamber of Commerce. 
 
 Corydon, Indiana, Lincoln Memorial Highway Association. 
 Lincoln Ferry Memorial Association. 
 Milltown Business Men's Club. 
 
 CANNELTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 
 
 The brief submitted by the Cannelton Chamber of Commerce con- 
 sists of fourteen typewritten pages, photostat copies of two documents, 
 and a map. The brief is signed by E. D. Jones as chairman of the 
 Lincoln Memorial Highway Committee of the Chamber of Commerce. 
 
 Exhibit No. 1. A map showing parts of Indiana and Kentucky, 
 showing a line indicating the general route of the Lincoln family as 
 our research has shown. 
 
 Exhibit No. 2. A photostat copy of a document written by Jacob 
 Weatherholt, Jr., in 1866, stating that in 1816, when Weatherholt was 
 21 years of age, his father, Jacob Weatherholt, who operated the Ohio 
 River ferry at Tobinsport, ferried the Lincoln family across the Ohio 
 River. 
 
 Exhibit No. 3. A typewritten copy of the Weatherholt document 
 referred to in the above. 
 
 Exhibit No. 4. A photostat copy of the deed referred to in the 
 Weatherholt document. 
 
 Exhibit No. 5. A certified copy of a road petition addressed to 
 the Judge of Perry County (Indiana) Circuit Court, praying that a road 
 be established from Beulah Lamb's Ferry (Tobinsport) to Troy, then 
 the county seat of Perry County. 
 
 Exhibit No. 6. A report of the viewers, indicating they had com- 
 plied with the court's order mentioned in the preceding paragraph, and 
 that road had been laid out. 
 
 ■4 18 $=•■ 
 
Exhibit No. 7. A certified copy of the court's order appointing 
 road supervisor for the road from Beulah Lamb's Ferry to Troy. 
 
 Exhibit No. 8. This exhibit is a copy of report made by road 
 viewers, showing that a road had been established from Troy to the 
 Warrick County line, passing within one mile of Lincoln's Indiana 
 farm. 
 
 LINCOLNSHOME 
 
 U I NCOLN 
 
 MIGRATION 
 
 1616 
 
 "L'Cortjdon In alia no 
 Lincoln Memorial 
 Hiohuiay Association 
 
 U/yillfouJn Business 
 Wen's Club. 
 
 ILCannelton 
 Ch am o'er ofCommerce 
 HJ Lincoln Ferry 
 Memorial Association 
 
 PIRTHPLACE 
 FARM 
 
 KNOB CREEK 
 FARM 
 
 ./ 
 
 Exhibit No. 9. A copy of a record found in Breckinridge County 
 (Ky.) court records, showing a ferry across the Ohio River was granted 
 to Joseph Huston on October 15, 1802. 
 
 Exhibit No. 10. An affidavit signed by James A. Sweeney. 
 
 The affidavit evidence in this brief by James A. Sweeney, Walter 
 R. Hawkins, and Mathias Miller affirms that the Lincolns crossed the 
 Ohio River at Tobinsport. One other affidavit which is presented af- 
 firms the authenticity of the document written by Jacob Weatherholt, Jr. 
 
 ■4 19 fc- 
 
The claims of the Cannelton Chamber of Commerce may be tabu- 
 lated as follows: 
 
 1. Jacob Weatherholt, Sr., ferried the Lincolns across the Ohio at 
 Tobinsport. 
 
 2. The Lincolns followed a road laid out from Beulah Lamb's 
 Ferry to Troy. 
 
 3. From Troy the family traveled a road established from Troy 
 to the Warrick County line which passed within one mile of the Lincoln 
 home site. 
 
 CORYDON LINCOLN MEMORIAL HIGHWAY ASSOCIATION 
 
 There are twenty-nine typewritten pages, one plat, and a supple- 
 mental map included in the brief of the Corydon Lincoln Memorial 
 Highway Association. 
 
 The subject matter is discussed under the following captions: 
 
 Lincoln locations in Kentucky and the roads thereon. 
 
 Ferries across the Ohio River. 
 
 Roads to Corydon. 
 
 Corydon. 
 
 The residence of Josiah Lincoln in Harrison County, Indiana. 
 
 The roads from Corydon. 
 
 Letters written by James Polk, eldest son of Chas. Polk II and 
 grandson of Capt. Charles Polk. 
 
 Thomas Lincoln's relatives and friends. 
 
 Affidavits in support of the probability of facts stated above. 
 
 The soldiers' route north. 
 
 Cannelton claims — the Weatherholt deed. 
 
 The Cloverport-Troy theory. 
 
 The Lincoln Highway Commission report (1816) summary. 
 
 The documentary evidence filed by the Corydon group is exhibited 
 under these titles • 
 
 Exhibit 1. Road Petition — Elizabethtown to Ohio River. 
 
 a. Appointment of Thomas Lincoln as patroller. 
 Exhibit 2. Petition for ferry across Ohio by John Sturgin. 
 
 a. Petition for ferry across Ohio by Solomon Brandenburg. 
 Exhibit 3. Viewers appointed on road from Norris's Ferry to 
 Corydon. 
 
 ■4. 20 $=• 
 
Exhibit 4. Viewers appointed on road from Doup's Ferry to 
 Corydon. 
 
 Exhibit 5. Report of viewers appointed to mark out road from 
 Coosenberry's Ferry to Corydon. 
 
 Exhibit 6. Record of land petition to Josiah Lincoln. 
 
 Exhibit 7. Petition for a road from Corydon to Gov. Harrison's 
 Mill. 
 
 Exhibit 8. Viewers appointed on above road. 
 
 Exhibit 9. Petition for road from Corydon to intersect above 
 road. 
 
 a. Report of reviewers on aforesaid road. 
 
 Exhibit 10. Petition for a road from Corydon to Vincennes Trace 
 via Harrison's Mill. 
 
 The affidavits in the brief released in Exhibits 11 to 21 were signed 
 by the following persons: Kate C. Allen, W. G. Cowley, G. E. Mc- 
 Murtry, Louis Worth Withers, Ada L. Bunger, Lena Ditto Furrie, Addie 
 Ross Cunningham, William T. Slaughterback, Jacob L. Summers, Mrs. 
 Harriet Ott, Seth Seacat and Sherman T. Briscoe. 
 
 Under Exhibit Nos. 22, 23, and 24 the Corydon brief submits 33 
 land abstracts and other data to support their contention that the Jacob 
 Weatherholt document submitted by the Cannelton Chamber of Com- 
 merce is fraudulent. 
 
 The claim of the Corydon, Indiana, Lincoln Highway Association 
 can be summarized by a paragraph from its brief as follows: 
 
 "This brief is presented by persons who believe that Thomas Lin- 
 coln in his trip to his new home at Lincoln City crossed the river into 
 Harrison County, Indiana, traveled thence north through Harrison to 
 the north part of that county where his brother Josiah lived, and there- 
 after traversed over more or less established routes to his location." 
 
 The map submitted by the Corydon committee notes five differ- 
 ent ferries across the Ohio, any one of which might have been used 
 in approaching Corydon. They are as follows: Coosenberry, Stur- 
 gin or Norris, Brandenburg, Doup and Mauckport. 
 
 From Corydon to Lincoln City the following points touched by 
 the route are mentioned: Harrison's Mill, Josiah Lincoln's Home, 
 Pilot Knob, thence the road runs near Milltown and Marengo and north 
 of English in Crawford County through Ferdinand in Dubois County, 
 thence to Lincoln City. 
 
 ■4 21 Je- 
 
LINCOLN FERRY MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION 
 
 William Grass, president; John Huebschmann, vice-president; and 
 Robert Carlton, secretary. 
 
 The brief prepared by this association consists of thirty-three type- 
 written pages, and a copy of one document — the report of Francis Posey 
 and Stephen McDaniels, viewers of the Troy and Santa Fe Road. 
 
 Affidavits are submitted by the following persons: 
 
 Green B. Taylor, James W. Taylor, Edw. H. Boulware, John Hert- 
 zing, John Heubschmann, John Conner, Frank Conner, Lawrence 
 O'Connor, Charles Schetzinger, Henry Englebrecht, Fred Kanzler, 
 James F. Martin, Isaac S. Bramel, William Polster, William Grass, Edw. 
 A. Lorch, Cullen Sauder, Arthur T. Ray. 
 
 The claims of the group are set forth in the following resolutions 
 which are based on the above affidavits: 
 
 '"To the Lincoln Memorial Highway Commission of Indiana: 
 
 "Gentlemen: 
 
 "Be it Resolved, That we, members of the Lincoln Ferry Memorial 
 Association and citizens and residents of Spencer and Perry counties, 
 Indiana, born, reared and living in the vicinity of what is known as 
 Lincoln Ferry over Anderson River, the boundary line between Spencer 
 and Perry counties, Indiana, do earnestly and respectfully request your 
 Honorable Commission to locate and dedicate the Lincoln Trail over 
 what is known as the Santa Fe and Troy Road. This road leads north- 
 west from Lincoln Ferry over Anderson River through Santa Fe to 
 Lincoln City, Indiana, the home of the Lincoln family for many years 
 and the burial place of Lincoln's mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln. 
 
 "We would further represent and show that the undersigned peti- 
 tioners are descendants from the pioneers of this vicinity and through 
 family tradition know that the Lincoln family traveled the Santa Fe 
 and Troy Road to their destination at Lincoln City, Indiana. This 
 road leads north out of Maxville, Spencer County, Indiana, about four 
 hundred feet west from the site of the Lincoln Ferry in a general north- 
 westwardly direction to and through what is now known as Evanston, 
 Indiana, on past the Leistner Church; thence to and through Santa Fe, 
 Indiana; thence one-quarter mile north of what is now known as State 
 Highway No. 162; thence west to Lincoln City, the Spencer County 
 home of the Lincoln family." 
 
 •<22>- 
 
The conclusion of the brief follows: 
 
 "Your petitioners would call the attention of this Honorable Com- 
 mission: 
 
 "First: To the geographical location of Hodgenville, Ky., and 
 Lincoln City, Ind., the likely way of travel between these points in the 
 year of 1816. 
 
 "Second: The prominence of the town of Troy in the year of the 
 migration of Thomas Lincoln and his family. 
 
 "Third: To the fact that there was a well defined and traveled 
 highway at the time of the migration of the Lincoln family from the 
 ferry across Anderson River to Santa Fe and to settlements north and 
 west. 
 
 "Fourth: That human nature in 1816 was the same as it is today 
 and that a traveler, be it you, Thomas Lincoln, or ourselves, desiring 
 to reach a given point, would follow a traveled roadway to the point 
 of destination and especially when that traveled way was the most di- 
 rect and closest way to the destination to be reached. To suppose that 
 Thomas Lincoln and his family would attempt any other way of travel 
 from the ferry at Anderson River, except what is and was known as the 
 Santa Fe-Troy Road, is not only unnatural and illogical, but unthink- 
 able." 
 
 THE MILLTOWN BUSINESS MEN'S CLUB 
 
 Ralph Jackson, President 
 
 Dr. J. J. Johnson, Vice-President 
 
 L. E. Flanigan, Secretary and Treasurer 
 
 The evidence collected by the Milltown Business Men's Club is in 
 the form of affidavit evidence. 
 
 Duly authorized depositions signed by the following people are on 
 file: Addie Ross Cunningham, Sherman T. Briscoe, William Boone 
 Douglas, J. L. Summers, Frank Franzell, Maud L. Senn. 
 
 The conclusions drawn from these affidavits support the crossing 
 of the Ohio by the Lincoln family at Boone's Ford. They place spe- 
 cial emphasis on the visit of Thomas Lincoln with his brother Josiah 
 Lincoln at the time of this migration. After leaving the home of Josiah 
 the family is said to have passed by the way of Milltown, thence over 
 the old Jasper Road to Lincoln City. 
 
 ■4 23 > 
 
PART SEVEN 
 
 Resolution of the Kentucky Commission 
 
 THE boundary line between Kentucky and Indiana is the low water 
 mark of the Ohio River on the Indiana side. This fact placed 
 the obligation of determining the point at which the Lincolns 
 crossed the Ohio on the Kentucky Lincoln Way Commission. After 
 much discussion and deliberation on their part they suggested that a 
 conference with the Indiana Commission would be welcomed in order 
 that the place of contact of the Kentucky and Indiana sections of the 
 road might be definitely and finally established. 
 
 This suggestion resulted in the calling of a joint meeting by Presi- 
 dent Hall of the Indiana Commission for November 12, 1931. The 
 minutes of the meeting are herewith copied verbatim. 
 
 INDIANA AND KENTUCKY LINCOLN MEMORIAL WAY 
 COMMISSIONS JOINT MEETING 
 
 A joint meeting of the Kentucky and Indiana Lincoln Memorial 
 Way Commissions was held in the Brown Hotel at Louisville, Kentucky, 
 on the evening of November 12, 1931. 
 
 All the members of the Kentucky Commission and four members 
 of the Indiana Commission were present; also the historian of the 
 latter Commission. 
 
 Mr. Arthur F. Hall, president of the Indiana Commission, stated 
 that the purpose of the joint meeting was to try and come to some defi- 
 nite conclusion as to where the Lincolns crossed the Ohio River. 
 
 Some exhibits had been prepared for the purpose of visualizing 
 the task before the Indiana Commission in bringing the Lincoln fam- 
 ily to Lincoln City from the various places of crossing which were be- 
 fore the Kentucky Commission. 
 
 A discussion of the contemplated routes followed this illustrated 
 presentation. 
 
 Inasmuch as the task of determining where the Lincolns crossed 
 the Ohio fell upon the Kentucky Commission, they immediately went 
 
 ■4 24 IS* 
 
into session with the result that the following resolutions were unani- 
 mously adopted by the Kentucky Commission: 
 
 "Whereas, It is now impossible to determine the exact point at 
 which the Lincolns crossed the Ohio River at the time of their removal 
 to Indiana, but the Commission being of the opinion that the most 
 practical point at the present time for a crossing nearest to the actual 
 location of the ferry on which they crossed is from Hawesville, Ken- 
 tucky, to Cannelton, Indiana. 
 
 "Resolved, That the Lincoln Memorial Highway from Big Spring, 
 Kentucky, to the Indiana side of the Ohio River be as follows: 
 
 "From Big Spring over the Elizabethtown and Hardinsburg Road 
 along the route known as the Lost River Road to Harned on Route No. 
 60, thence along Route No. 60 through Hardinsburg and Cloverport 
 to Hawesville and crossing the Ohio River from Hawesville to Can- 
 nelton, Indiana.* 
 
 "Resolved, That the highway from Flaherty to Big Spring follow 
 the route by way of the Woolfork brick house at Jackey's Grove and 
 thence to Big Spring. Motion carried." 
 
 * Note — After the Indiana Commission had come to a final decision about the 
 place of its Ohio River terminal at Cannelton, based on the decision of the Ken- 
 tucky Commission, and after its resolution had been drafted for presentation to 
 Governor Leslie, it was learned that the Kentucky Commission had convened again 
 and decided on a crossing opposite Tobinsport. 
 
 Cloverport, Kentucky, opposite Tobinsport, and Hawesville, Kentucky, opposite 
 Cannelton, are already connected by United States Highway Number 60, a recently 
 improved road running parallel to the suggested Indiana road between Tobinsport 
 and Cannelton. In view of the probability of a bridge being built across the Ohio 
 River at Cannelton, in preference to Tobinsport, the Indiana Commission recom- 
 mends that Cannelton remain as the Ohio River terminal of the Indiana Lincoln 
 Memorial Way until such a time as some assurance is given that a road between 
 Tobinsport and Cannelton would be used after a bridge is constructed at Can- 
 nelton. 
 
 ■4 25 > 
 
PART EIGHT 
 
 Observations of Commission on 1816 Migration 
 
 The resolutions adopted by the Kentucky Commission at the joint 
 meeting of the Kentucky and Indiana Commissions at Louisville 
 frankly admits that "it is now impossible to determine the exact 
 point at which the Lincolns crossed the Ohio River." It is the sense 
 of the Kentucky Commission, as stated in the resolution, that "the most 
 practical point for crossing at the present time nearest to the actual 
 location of the ferry on which they crossed is from Hawesville, Ken- 
 tucky, to Cannelton, Indiana." 
 
 Section One of the tentative route adopted by the Indiana Commis- 
 sion designates the Lincoln Memorial Way as extending from the "Ohio 
 River terminal of the Kentucky route to Troy." Since this terminal 
 has been definitely located at Cannelton, the section would now be des- 
 ignated as extending from Cannelton to Troy. 
 
 The decision of the Kentucky Commission disqualified from any 
 further consideration the routes submitted by the Corydon, Indiana, 
 Memorial Highway Association and the Milltown Business Men's Club, 
 as the roads could not be made available for an approach to Lincoln 
 City from Cannelton. 
 
 The decision also invalidated a part of the route sponsored by 
 the Cannelton Chamber of Commerce, as the crossing at Cannelton 
 eliminated that portion of the proposed route approaching Cannelton 
 from Tobinsport Ferry. 
 
 But one brief submitted to the Commission deals directly with this 
 section of road between Cannelton and Troy. 
 
 The Cannelton brief displays a copy of a road order dated Novem- 
 ber 14, 1815, in which there is mentioned a road leading from Troy 
 to Conner's Ferry, which would establish the fact that a road did ap- 
 proach Troy from the general direction of where Cannelton is now 
 located. 1 
 
 Further evidence is available to show that a road approached the 
 Ohio River from the Kentucky side at Thompson's Ferry near where 
 Tell City is now located. An order in the Breckenridge County, Ken- 
 tucky, court dated January 16, 1815, reads: 
 
 1 Cannelton Chamber of Commerce, Exhibit Number 7. 
 
 ■4 26 }fl- 
 
"It being suggested to the court that the present road leading to 
 the mouth of Yellow Creek would be of greater public utility if it 
 was so changed as to strike the Ohio River at Thompson's Ferry. Or- 
 dered that Thomas Blince, William Huff, Hugh Thompson and Eli 
 Thrasher, or any three of them, review proposed change and report 
 to our next court the comparative convenience and inconvenience that 
 would result from such alteration as well to the public as to the indi- 
 vidual. 2 
 
 "Overseer appointed on the road from Thompson's Ferry towards 
 Hardinsburg to what is called the half-way ridge between the river 
 and the Yellow Banks Road. 3 
 
 A ferry across the Ohio would infer that a road continued on 
 down the river on the Indiana side. 
 
 The Commission concurs with the Cannelton Chamber of Com- 
 merce that a trail did exist as early as 1816 from a point at or near 
 where Cannelton is now located to the town of Troy. 
 
 Having become convinced that the Lincoln family would have 
 made their way from Cannelton to Troy, the Commission proceeded 
 to weigh the evidence in hand submitted by the Lincoln Ferry Memo- 
 rial Association and that part of the argument in the brief of the Can- 
 nelton Chamber of Commerce which deals with the location of the 
 route from Troy to Lincoln City. 
 
 The briefs of both of these organizations agree that the route fol- 
 lowed by the Lincolns in reaching their destination was over the same 
 route, and offer the following court document to show that a trail had 
 already been marked out which passed within a mile or so from the 
 site where Thomas Lincoln built his cabin: 
 
 "In obedience to an order of the worshipful court of Perry County 
 we have viewed and marked out a road from Warrick County line the 
 nearest and best way to the town of Troy till we came to Anderson 
 Creek opposite the mouth of James McDaniel Junr's spring branch. 
 We have no doubt this road will be of great public utility when opened. 
 
 "Signed by us this 2nd October, 1815. 
 
 "Stephen McDaniel. 
 "Francis Posey." 4 
 
 This section of road is designated on the tentative route laid down 
 by the Commission as Section Two. 
 
 2 Breckinridge County (Ky.) Minute Book 2, p. 96. 
 
 3 Ibid Book 2, p. 188. 
 
 4 Cannelton Chamber of Commerce, Exhibit Number 8. Lincoln Ferry Me- 
 morial Association, p. 4. 
 
 4 27 >- 
 
The affiants whose depositions are submitted in the brief of the 
 Lincoln Ferry Memorial Association are unanimous in identifying this 
 trail with what later became the old Santa Fe Road, so named from the 
 community of Santa Fe, now Santa Claus, which grew up about ten 
 miles east from the place where Thomas Lincoln built his cabin home. 
 
 Troy was the county seat of Perry County at the time the Lincolns 
 migrated, and it is reasonable to expect that trails would lead to this 
 town from different parts of the county. The town was surveyed as 
 early as March, 1815, and ninety-six lots and a public square were 
 laid off. 
 
 While it did not come within the scope of the Cravens-Weik in- 
 vestigation as authorized by the Governor to determine the route taken 
 by the Lincolns on the 1816 migration, the report which they submit- 
 ted included a map on which there was marked out the supposed route 
 traveled from the mouth of Anderson Creek near Troy to Lincoln City. 
 It passed through Lamar and Buffaloville, towns not then in existence. 
 
 The present Commission found no evidence whatever of any road 
 as early as 1816 leading from the mouth of Anderson Creek through 
 the communities where these two railroad towns grew up in later years. 
 
 One fact which gives valuable support to the supposition that the 
 Lincolns used the route chosen is the presence of Austin Lincoln in 
 Perry County at this time. 5 He was in Perry County as early as 1815, 
 one year before Thomas Lincoln arrived, and the Lincolns in travel- 
 ing between Troy and what is now Lincoln City would pass near the 
 place where he lived. 
 
 Austin Lincoln was a son of Hananiah Lincoln with whom Thomas 
 Lincoln had lived for some time in Kentucky. 
 
 The Commission finds itself in agreement with both the Cannel- 
 ton Chamber of Commerce and the Lincoln Ferry Memorial Associa- 
 tion in its belief that the Lincolns used the trail now known as the 
 Santa Fe Road in passing from the mouth of Anderson Creek to a 
 point near their Spencer County home site in the migration of 1816. 
 The trail was first known as the Vincennes-Troy Road and was one 
 of the earliest trails used in approaching the land office at Vincennes. 
 
 Perry County (Ind.) Order Book, June, 1815. 
 
 ■4 28 J*- 
 
PART NINE 
 
 Digests of Briefs Submitted on the 1 830 
 Migration 
 
 Seven different organized groups filed with the Commission argu- 
 ments in the form of briefs which presented evidence to show the 
 route taken by the Lincoln family in their migration from their 
 Spencer County home to Illinois in 1830: They are: 
 
 a. Buffalo Trace Historical Association 
 
 b. Daviess County Lincoln Highway Association 
 
 c. Gentryville Group of the Lincoln Memorial Highway 
 
 d. Knox County Lincoln Memorial Highway Group 
 
 e. Princeton Rotary, Kiwanis, and Advertising Clubs 
 
 f. Selvin Community Group 
 
 g. Warrick County Lincoln Route Association 
 
 Digests which outline the contents of these briefs as fully as space 
 will permit follow: 
 
 BUFFALO TRACE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION 
 
 Executive Committee 
 
 Mrs. Beulah B. Gray, Otwell, Chairman. William F. Dudine, Jasper. 
 
 John C. Chaille, Otwell, S. Guy Norman, Jasper. 
 
 Secretary-Treasurer. Dr. I. B. Johnson, Ireland. 
 
 Harley E. Craig, Otwell. Rev. Father Anthony Michel, Ireland. 
 
 John K. Chappell, Petersburg. Dr. Richard W. Harris, Algiers. 
 
 Carl M. Gray, Petersburg. Herschel G. Loveless, Algiers. 
 
 William F. Risley, Petersburg. Oscar Stinson, Alford. 
 
 Albert T. Rumbach, Jasper. Frank Anderson, Alford. 
 
 Organization Committee 
 
 S. Guy Norman, Jasper. Ralph Craig, Otwell. 
 
 Dr. L. B. Johnson, Ireland. William Radcliffe, Petersburg. 
 
 Historical Research 
 
 Beulah B. Gray, Otwell. Albert T. Rumbach, Jasper. 
 
 John K. Chappell, Petersburg. John C. Chaille, Otwell. 
 
 ■4 29 Js- 
 
Finance Committee 
 
 James Higgins, Petersburg. L. Shirley Osgatharp, Otwell. 
 
 Oscar Stinson, Alford. Rev. Father Anthony Michel, Ireland. 
 
 Herschel G. Loveless, Algiers. William F. Dudine, Jasper. 
 
 Posey N. Scraper, Otwell. 
 
 Publicity Committee 
 
 William D. Crown, Petersburg. Carl M. Gray, Petersburg. 
 
 Albert T. Rumbach, Jasper. 
 
 The Buffalo Trace Historical Association chose to present their 
 data in the form of a running story of the migration by the historian 
 of the association, Beulah B. Gray. The text comprises sixty-two printed 
 pages. This is followed by sixteen pages of supplementary notes. Two 
 maps are also inserted and the text is illustrated. A chart is also ap- 
 pended to the evidence prepared. 
 
 The story of the Lincoln family and their removal to Indiana is 
 not divided into chapters, but these points are emphasized in the de- 
 velopment of the argument: 
 
 Indiana history of Lincoln family. 
 The migratory group. 
 The Yellow Banks trail. 
 The Enlows, friends of the Lincolns. 
 County divisions and early trails. 
 Construction of bridges. 
 Mail routes. 
 
 Former trips to Vincennes. 
 History of the Buffalo Trace. 
 
 Court records establish origin of state roads and ferries in Pike 
 and Dubois counties. 
 
 Review of the Weik-Cravens Report. 
 
 The supplemental notes discuss the topography of the county and 
 evidence in refutation of claims by other contesting groups. 
 
 These excerpts from the text set forth the claims of the Buffalo 
 Trace Historical Association: 
 
 "The best trail led to the north over the age-old trace, beginning 
 at the crossing of the Ohio River at Yellow Banks, where Rockport, 
 in Spencer County, now stands. 
 
 "Passing to the north through the settlement which later took its 
 name, Gentryville, from that of the wealthiest and largest landowner 
 of the neighborhood, James Gentry, and through the settlement, called 
 
 •430$=- 
 
in earlier days, Elizabeth, now known as Dale, the trail crossed the 
 south boundary line of Dubois County, at what is now the site of the 
 city of Huntingburg, it branched, one fork going to the east, the other 
 to the west of the present state highway. . . . 
 
 "After the Lincoln party crossed the Patoka River at the old In- 
 dian ford near Enlow's Mill (now Jasper), there were several ways 
 open to them, and one naturally pauses to consider which of these sev- 
 eral routes they might have chosen. Just as at the Gentry home in 
 Spencer County there was but one way which was practical for wagon 
 travel at that season of the year, so at Enlow's Mill there was but one 
 way which was passable for a loaded wagon, and we believe that was 
 the route chosen. It led through Ireland, Algiers and on to Peters- 
 burg. It was the oldest, driest, the most improved and the most 
 thickly settled road in southern Indiana at that time, any one of which 
 reasons would have been sufficient to turn the tides of indecision in its 
 favor." 
 
 THE LINCOLN WAY THROUGH DAVIESS COUNTY, INDIANA 
 
 Historical Investigating Committee 
 
 Washington, Ind. 
 
 General Committee 
 Austin T. Hixon. John W. Connelly. 
 
 Ezra Mattingly. 
 
 Chamber of Commerce Committee 
 Jacob G. Clark, Chairman. Elmer Buzan. 
 
 Hugh L. Cox. John Yarbrough. 
 
 S. S. Scott. Edward C. Faith. 
 
 Rotary Club Committee 
 Dr. H. C. Wadsworth. Edward C. Faith. 
 
 Sam B. Boyd. 
 
 Kiwanis Committee 
 J. G. Allen. A. 0. Fulkerson. 
 
 0. M. McCracken. 
 
 Four different installments of evidence were presented by the 
 Daviess County Lincoln Highway Association: 
 
 a. A pamphlet of 29 pages, one map and illustration. 
 
 b. Seven affidavits in a brief of 10 typewritten pages. 
 
 c. One affidavit. 
 
 d. A supplemental pamphlet of 18 pages. 
 
 -<31 If=- 
 
Brief (a) contains documentary evidence "that in the year 1830 
 and prior thereto there was an established road from Gentryville, In- 
 diana, to Apraw Ford over the west fork of White River on the west 
 boundary of Daviess County." Sixteen duly authorized records are 
 introduced to support this evidence. 
 
 The testimonial and affidavit evidence, according to the brief, "es- 
 tablishes the fact that this road was the road traveled by the Lincoln 
 party in making the journey." 
 
 The testimonial evidence of Col. Augustus H. Chapman is pre- 
 sented and many affidavits which affirm his integrity are exhibited. Col. 
 Chapman was interviewed by Jesse W. Weik in 1896, who gives the 
 following account of an interview Chapman had with Abraham Lincoln: 
 
 "We got to talking about the journey from Indiana in 1830; he 
 agreed substantially with Hanks as to the route they took; said they 
 went from Gentryville north to Jasper in Dubois County, thence to 
 Washington, Daviess County, thence to Vincennes where they crossed 
 the Wabash." 
 
 The affidavits in the brief are signed by Arsula Itskin, William A. 
 Wallace, W. A. Taylor, William J. Trout, Irvin Gilmore, Sanford Gil- 
 more, H. C. Wadsworth, Nelson B. Shakelford, Nathaniel C. Abel, Fred 
 J. Schnarr, Sarah Ragsdale, Henry J. Stone, Adam A. Poth, John W. 
 Connelly, John P. Baldwin, Zeba Cosby, Grandison Cosby, Frank M. 
 Cross, Enoch Johnson, Solon Mathers, Stephen E. Myers, and Charles 
 McDonald. 
 
 Brief (b) contains the affidavits of Charles M. Palmer, Robert 
 Underwood, John A. Sweeney, Clayton B. Johnson, W. S. Sweeney, Al- 
 fred M. Shepard, Robert A. Carnahan, and Harmon C. Shepard. 
 
 Brief (c) is the affidavit of Ezra Mattingly referring to location of 
 Vincennes Trace. 
 
 Brief (d) serves as an argument deducted from the evidence sub- 
 mitted in Brief (a). The following summary of the evidence is pre- 
 sented : 
 
 "In our printed evidence on file with the Commission we have 
 established two general facts: 
 
 "1. That in and prior to the year 1830 there was an established 
 road from Gentryville, Indiana, to Apraw Ford over the west fork of 
 White River on the western boundary of Daviess County. 
 
 "2. That this was the road traveled by the Lincoln emigrant 
 party in March, 1830. 
 
 ■4 32 }fl- 
 
"The evidence that this was the road which the Lincolns traveled 
 from Indiana to Illinois groups itself around four sets of facts. 
 
 "First: The general and widely-spread tradition all over the 
 southern part of Daviess County that this is the road which they passed 
 over. 
 
 "Second: The letters which Abraham Lincoln wrote to Elliott 
 Chappell. 
 
 "Third: The lame mare and the horse trade between Thomas 
 Lincoln and Overton Cosby, Sr. 
 
 "Fourth: The positive, uncontradicted statement of Abraham Lin- 
 coln himself that the party passed through 'Washington in Daviess 
 County.' " 
 
 GENTRYVILLE GROUP OF THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL 
 HIGHWAY 
 
 George B. Bullock, President 
 
 Twenty-five signers join in the following affirmation submitted by 
 the Gentryville group of the Lincoln Memorial Highway. 
 
 "To the Honorable Lincoln Memorial Highway Commission: 
 "Be it known: — ■ 
 
 "That we, the undersigned citizens of Gentryville, Indiana, and 
 vicinity, have this 25th day of May, 1931, organized ourselves as a 
 'group' for the purpose of presenting to your Honorable Body affida- 
 vits and statements of old and respectable citizens of this vicinity to 
 substantiate our claim that the Lincoln family in their migration to 
 Illinois in 1830 came from their old home, near what is now Lincoln 
 City, to what was then the main road and mail route from Troy to Vin- 
 cennes, and stopped for the first night at the home of James Gentry, 
 who lived on above road just east of what is now Gentryville; (see affi- 
 davit of John Gentry) here their oxen strayed during the night which 
 delayed starting, so that it was near 10 o'clock when they reached 
 Jones' store — Jonesboro postoffice, where they did their trading and 
 got their mail and then went on said road, now called the Boonville 
 and Folsomville Road, and crossed Pigeon Creek Ford, half a mile 
 west of Jones' store, thence along said road to John P. Phillips' home 
 and camped at a spring across the road (see affidavit of Mrs. Fannie 
 Crooks Roach). This statement leaves the Lincoln family about eight 
 miles from their old home on the above mentioned road. 
 
 ■4 33 >• 
 
"There are now a few facts related to old members of this group 
 by old people over forty years ago, and we would respectfully call 
 your attention to statements and affidavits attached." 
 
 Ten affidavits support the claim that the Lincolns traveled through 
 what is now Gentryville and Jonesboro on their way to Illinois. The 
 names of the affiants are as follows: Burton C. Bean, John Gentry, 
 James S. Wright, Eli L. Grigsby and Carrie A. Grigsby, Mrs. Fannie 
 Crooks Roach, George W. Harris, Logan B. Clark, Mrs. Florence Hiley 
 Phillips, and John M. Smith. 
 
 The president of the organization in addressing the Commission 
 states that "we could present a greater number of affidavits in support 
 of our claim that the Lincolns traveled west past Jones' store and Jones- 
 boro postoffice when moving to Illinois in 1830, but when we consider 
 the high standing character and reputation for truth of the people mak- 
 ing the voluntary affidavits submitted we have deemed it unnecessary." 
 
 KNOX COUNTY LINCOLN MEMORIAL HIGHWAY GROUP 
 
 The Vincennes Chamber of Commerce 
 
 W. C. Reed, Chairman. Howard R. Burnett. 
 
 Harry T. Watts. Levi J. Driver. 
 
 Allen E. Hogue. 
 
 There are ninety-five pages of printed evidence in the brief pre- 
 pared by the Vincennes Chamber of Commerce, and this is supple- 
 mented by an attached typewritten page of evidence and three maps. 
 
 The scope of inquiries of this brief is clearly stated in these words : 
 "Our research has been purposely limited to duly authenticated 
 public records. No attempt has been made to collect or record the 
 so-called traditional accounts of the Lincoln migration. Many of these 
 have been current in Knox County for years, but we have found them 
 to be so utterly conflicting and irreconcilable as to render them of prac- 
 tically no probative value. 
 
 "While we make no pretense of having exhausted the subject, we 
 think the documentary evidence set out in this brief will clearly estab- 
 lish that in the year 1830 there were no less than four points, more or 
 less well known, at which the Lincoln party might have entered Knox 
 County. Our object will be to present all the available facts and to 
 draw such conclusions as to the one most probably traveled as appear 
 to be fully warranted by the evidence available. 
 
 •<34j:- 
 
"As means of identification, the four routes concerned have been 
 designated as follows: (a) the Harbin's or Wright's Ferry Route; (b) 
 the Rockey Ford Route; (c) the Hawkins' Ferry Route, and (d) the 
 Apraw Ford Route. They will be considered in the order enumerated." 
 
 The identification of the four routes is made possible by a single 
 paragraph which associates the early trail with the present road sys- 
 tem. 
 
 Harbin's or Wright's Ferry Route. 
 
 "This route may be identified on modern maps by following the 
 Indiana State Highway No. 61 from Vincennes to a point approxi- 
 mately one-half mile southeast of Monroe City. At this point it de- 
 parts from the present state road and leads off south passing through 
 the so-called Wease and Helderman neighborhoods to the old site of 
 Bond's Mill, which was on Wilson Creek, near the place where the 
 abandoned town of Spauldingville once stood. From Bond's Mill it 
 followed the existing public road, passed Hamlin Chapel M. E. Church 
 (founded in 1830) and crossed White River at the place where Har- 
 bin's or Wright's Ferry was maintained. There is no ferry at this 
 point now, it having been abandoned many years ago, but the place 
 is well known. Among the different names by which this ferry was 
 known during its history were: Harbin's, McFall's, Flowers', Aaron 
 Decker's, John Decker's, Wright's, and Williams' Ferry." 
 
 The Rockey Ford Route. 
 
 "Situated on the main stream of White River, near the point where 
 the present state highway extending from Vincennes to Petersburg 
 crosses it, is a natural ford for long known as the Rockey Ford. Its 
 location is clearly indicated on county maps published as late as 1880, 
 and it is within the memory of men yet living that this ford was util- 
 ized for crossing the river." 
 
 The Hawkins' Ferry Route. 
 
 "This early road followed, in a general way, the course of the 
 present Federal Highway No. 50. It crossed the west fork of White 
 River at the site of the village of Maysville, where a new bridge has 
 recently been completed. From Wheatland to Vincennes the present 
 paved highway deviates somewhat from the original road." 
 
 The Apraw Ford Route. 
 
 "About five miles north of the site of the Hawkins' Ferry was 
 another point of crossing on the west fork of White River known as 
 
 •4 35 fc •• 
 
Apraw Ford. There is a local tradition that this was a crossing on an 
 old Indian trail, and there is no reason to doubt this claim. As a high- 
 way crossing, however, it does not appear to be as old as the three 
 routes already considered." 
 
 The documentary section of the brief contains 34 exhibits con- 
 sisting of copies of duly authorized public records displayed under 
 the following titles: 
 Exhibit 1 — Early Trails. 
 Exhibit 2 — Petition for Road from Vincennes to Grand Rapids on the 
 
 Ohio, 1798. 
 Exhibit 3 — Joshua Harbin Acquires Land on White River, 1797. 
 Exhibit 4— Harbin's Ferry, 1799. 
 Exhibit 5 — Road Petitioned for from Vincennes to Jeffersonville in 
 
 1802 and again in 1815. 
 Exhibit 6 — Road from Vincennes to Jordan's Mill Viewed in 1808. 
 Exhibit 7 — Showing Location of Ephriam Jordan's Mill. 
 Exhibit 8 — Wagons Traveled over Buffalo Trace in 1808. 
 Exhibit 9 — Locating Indiana Presbyterian Church, Founded 1806, 
 
 Erected 1815. 
 Exhibit 10 — Sale of Lots in Petersburg in 1817. 
 Exhibit 11 — Showing Supervisors of Roads between Vincennes and 
 
 Petersburg, 1817 to 1830. 
 Exhibit 12 — Showing Supervisors on Road from Petersburg to Wright's 
 
 Ferry on White River from 1817 to 1830. 
 Exhibit 13 — Second Road to Wright's Ferry Petitioned for, 1817. 
 Exhibit 14 — Viewers' Report on Second Road to Wright's Ferry, 1818. 
 Exhibit 15 — Viewers' Certificate on Second Road to Wright's Ferry, 
 
 1818. 
 Exhibit 16 — Elias Beedle's Place Located, 1811. 
 Exhibit 17 — Stork's Land Identified, 1816. 
 Exhibit 18— Identifying Stork's Mill, 1828. 
 Exhibit 19— Locating Bond's Mill, 1817. 
 Exhibit 20 — Petition for Road from White Oak Springs-Petersburg to 
 
 Rockey Ford, 1810. 
 Exhibit 21 — Petition for Road from Vincennes to Rockey Ford, 1812. 
 Exhibit 22 — Ferry Established near Rockey Ford, 1820. 
 Exhibit 23 — Eli Hawkins Acquires Site of Hawkins' Ferry, 1806. 
 Exhibit 24 — Hawkins' Ferry in Existence, 1812. 
 
 ••< 36 lis- 
 
Exhibit 25 — Act of the State Legislature Establishing State Road from 
 
 New Albany to Vincennes via Washington, 1821. 
 Exhibit 26- — Petition for Road from Apraw Ford to Emison's Mill, 
 
 1826. 
 Exhibit 27 — Remonstrance Against Apraw Ford Road, 1826. 
 Exhibit 28 — Remonstrance Against Apraw Ford Road, 1826. 
 Exhibit 29 — Viewers' Report of Apraw Ford Road, 1826. 
 Exhibit 30 — Remonstrance Against Apraw Ford Road, 1826. 
 Exhibit 31 — Reviewers' Report on Apraw Ford Road, 1826. 
 Exhibit 32 — Petition for Road from Apraw Ford to the Widow Sny- 
 der's Place, 1826. 
 Exhibit 33 — Widow Snyder's Place Located, 1825. 
 Exhibit 34 — Establishing North and South State Road through Vin- 
 cennes. 
 Exhibit — Post Routes. 
 
 Conclusion — An excerpt from the conclusions drawn by the Vin- 
 cennes Chamber of Commerce follows: 
 
 '"From a consideration of the foregoing facts the preponderance 
 of the evidence would seem to favor Harbin's Ferry as the point of 
 crossing White River for the Lincoln migration. We have shown that 
 this ferry had been in existence for more than thirty years prior to 
 1830. The road to Petersburg, which crossed the river at this point, 
 was likewise a well-defined highway, and had been used by similar emi- 
 grant parties as far back at 1808. The road on both sides of the river 
 had been under regular supervision for thirteen years." 
 
 INDIANA LINCOLN MEMORIAL HIGHWAY COMMISSION 
 THROUGH GIBSON COUNTY 
 
 Princeton Rotary, Kiwanis, and Advertising Clubs 
 
 The Princeton brief contains 19 typewritten pages and a map. The 
 foreword following sets forth its claim and is signed by the sponsors. 
 
 "Before the Indiana Lincoln Memorial Highway Commission 
 "The Rotary Club of Princeton, Indiana, having an active mem- 
 bership of thirty; the Kiwanis Club of Princeton, Indiana, having an 
 active membership of forty-five; and the Princeton Advertising Club, 
 Incorporated, of Princeton, Indiana, having an active membership of 
 forty-four, all of which members of said organizations are professional 
 or business men or women, citizens of said city of Princeton or of Gib- 
 son County, Indiana, submit this claim that the route traversed by 
 
 ■4 37 lis- 
 
Thomas Lincoln and the members of his family in the spring of the 
 year 1830 at the time of the migration of said Lincoln family from 
 Spencer County, Indiana, to Macon County, Illinois, is through the 
 State of Indiana as follows: 
 
 "From the Lincoln City farm in Spencer County to Gentryville, 
 thence to Jonesboro, thence to Selvin in Warrick County, thence along 
 the Princeton and Polk Patch* (Selvin) sector of the New Albany, Cory- 
 don and Princeton state road through Warrick, Pike and Gibson coun- 
 ties to Princeton, thence along the Evansville and Terre Haute state 
 road through Columbia (now Patoka) and Hazelton to Vincennes. 
 "Respectfully submitted this thirty-first day of August, 1931. 
 "The Rotary Club of Princeton, Indiana, 
 
 "By Fred R. Ewing, President. 
 "The Kiwanis Club of Princeton, Indiana, 
 "By Ralph C. Schergens, President. 
 "The Princeton Advertising Club, Incorporated, 
 of Princeton, Indiana, 
 "By Warren H. Miller, President." 
 The evidence in support of this route is exhibited in six chapters 
 under the following captions: 
 
 1. Territorial organization of Gibson and Warrick counties, in- 
 cluding copies of the enactments establishing counties. 
 
 2. Early trails and highways of southwestern Indiana, including 
 the Vincennes, Clarksville Trace, Red Banks Trace, Yellow Banks 
 Trace, Princeton and Polk Patch county highway, Corydon and New- 
 bury state road, Rockport and Bloomington state road, Boonville and 
 Petersburg state road, New Albany, Corydon and Princeton state road 
 (Fredonia Road). County road between Gentryville and Selvin. 
 
 3. Bridges over the Patoka River at Columbia (now Patoka) and 
 John Severn's Ferry. No other bridges on Patoka River in 1830. 
 
 4. Narrowest place of crossing in the low overflow bottoms of the 
 Patoka River located at the crossing of the Vincennes and Evansville 
 Road at Columbia. 
 
 5. Advantages of Princeton route: 
 
 a. Shortest between Lincoln City and Vincennes. 
 
 b. Traverses higher land than any other route between the 
 two places. 
 
 c. Freer from water courses to be forded. 
 
 d. Less low river bottom land to be negotiated. 
 
 * Interchangeable in the records with Poke Patch, but spelled in the Selvin com- 
 munity brief Polk Patch. 
 
 •4 38 >• 
 
6. Information in hands of Lincoln about road conditions. Abra- 
 ham Lincoln's visit to Princeton. 
 
 The argument in the Princeton brief includes ten typewritten pages 
 of copy with the following clauses set forth: 
 
 1. Would choose a route which would "entail the least hard- 
 ship, the least effort, and the least expenditure." 
 
 2. Expense of ferrying would be partly eliminated by free bridge 
 over Patoka at Columbia. "No other route presented this advantage." 
 
 3. In wet season prefer to travel the road which was highest and 
 driest. The Princeton route "not only desirable but in truth the only- 
 one which would be safely traveled. . . . This route on highest and 
 driest land in this particular section." 
 
 4. Trace established as early as 1812 a wagon road by 1818, 
 the oldest road running east out of Princeton and was the main high- 
 way to State Capitol at Corydon. 
 
 5. Reminiscences of old citizens, including the story of the stray 
 oxen, sale of merchandise en route. 
 
 6. Superiority of Princeton route over others: 
 
 a. "No other route presents so little overflow bottom land." 
 
 b. "No crossing of Patoka River Valley so narrow as one 
 at Columbia." 
 
 c. "No route presents elevated ridge traversed for such long 
 distance." 
 
 d. "No route can present as well settled territory in year 
 1830." 
 
 e. "Route offers shortest mileage." 
 
 f. "Settlements on Princeton-Vincennes section would offer 
 added inducement to follow route frequented by many travelers." 
 
 7. Consideration of rival claims: 
 
 a. No Boonville-Petersburg state road until after Lincoln 
 had left in 1930. 
 
 b. Road conditions would render the Washington route un- 
 practical, also ferry charges excess mileage and low valley lands 
 against it. 
 
 The route via Ireland and Algiers was over a "very flat table land 
 . . . where drainage of the lands was very difficult and in the rainy 
 season much water stood upon them . . . the name Mud Holes 
 which was given by pioneers to some of the old trace in the vicinity 
 of Ireland was certainly a fitting one." 
 
 ■4 39 \fl- 
 
The conclusion — Suggests that Abraham Lincoln may have been 
 partly influenced to take the Princeton road because of his acquaint- 
 ance with a young lady living there, the argument is brought to a close 
 with the following paragraph: 
 
 "The Lincolns knew the Fredonia Road from Selvin to Princeton 
 and the Evansville stage road to Vincennes; they knew the comparative 
 comfort of this route at that season of the year over any other route, 
 and as sensible men, although backwoodsmen, we must conclude that 
 they adopted and traveled the road which entailed the least expense 
 for ferryage, provided the driest trackage and provided the best set- 
 tled way of any of the routes which they considered. For these rea- 
 sons we insist that the migration of the Thomas Lincoln family in 
 March, 1830, was as we claim via Princeton, and we submit it to the 
 fair consideration of the Commission and shall abide its decision." 
 
 SELVIN COMMUNITY GROUP 
 
 Thirteen typewritten pages were submitted by the Selvin Commu- 
 nity Group bearing on the Lincoln migration in 1830. 
 
 The exhibits contained the following petition signed by people 
 living in the community of Selvin: 
 
 "To Whom It May Concern: 
 
 "We, the undersigned, being all citizens of Pike County, State of 
 Indiana, beg to submit the following statements as connected with the 
 proposed Lincoln Highway. 
 
 "First — Since our early youth we have been told by older people 
 that— when the Lincoln family moved from Spencer County, Indiana, 
 to their home in Illinois, they passed through Pike County, Indiana. 
 
 "Second — That old traditions refer to a fork at Polk Patch, later 
 a settlement known as Taylorville, and of an old trail leading by 
 Polk Patch through Pike County, near Stendal, on by Winslow and 
 Petersburg and on to Vincennes. 
 
 "Third — That the earlier settlers were required to enter their land 
 for record at the office at Vincennes, and that their mode of travel was 
 either horseback, ox team or foot, and that the settlers instructed new- 
 comers as to the best road to travel and preference was given to the 
 High Ridge Road in order to avoid crossing streams and swampy 
 places. 
 
 "Fourth — That in view of traditions and legends of our forefathers 
 and early settlers; the convictions and general opinions of the people 
 
of this community; the physical features of the direct route from Lin- 
 coln City to Vincennes, as compared with other routes, together with 
 other facts recorded in the history of the forts and early traces and 
 trails, and the evidence of reliable authorities. 
 
 "In view of all these we verily believe that when the Lincoln fam- 
 ily moved from Spencer County, Indiana, to their new home in Illinois 
 they passed through Pike County, near Stendal, via Winslow and on 
 to Petersburg and Vincennes." 
 
 Affidavits supporting the argument in the petition were signed by 
 Fred H. Poetker, George D. Mclntire, Fred A. Cook, Fred Patberg, 
 George J. Woolsey, Thomas Nalley, Martha Spradley, Olive Ingram, 
 Otto Bauermeister, Herbert H. Harmeyer, and Ed Powers. 
 
 WARRICK COUNTY LINCOLN ROUTE ASSOCIATION 
 
 William L. Barker, Philip Lutz, and Union W. Youngblood pre- 
 pared on behalf of the Warrick County Lincoln Route Association a 
 brief consisting of seventy-one printed pages and two maps. 
 
 The material gathered for this brief is assembled under the fol- 
 lowing subjects: 
 
 Foreword 
 
 The Record Evidence 
 
 The Affidavit Evidence 
 
 The Argument 
 
 The foreword is brought to a conclusion with this paragraph: 
 '"The tradition that Abraham Lincoln and his father's family, when 
 they migrated from their home in Spencer County to Illinois in 1830, 
 traveled west over the road known as the Boonville-Corydon Road 
 through Jonesboro, passed Jones' store to Boonville and thence north 
 over the Boonville and Petersburg Road to Petersburg, and thence 
 from Petersburg to Vincennes is of such long standing and of such 
 widespread and general belief in Warrick County and also among the 
 citizens of the community where the Lincolns lived previous to such 
 migration that the citizens of Warrick County sincerely and earnestly 
 believe that it would be an unwarranted miscarriage for the Indiana 
 Lincoln Memorial Highway Commission appointed by the Governor 
 to establish said line of migration or travel over any other route, and, 
 therefore, the citizens of Warrick County organized the Warrick County 
 Lincoln Route Association for the purpose of gathering evidence upon 
 which said long-standing tradition is founded and we submit the same 
 
 ■4 il\H- 
 
herewith for the candid consideration of said Commission with abid- 
 ing faith that said Commission will be convinced when they have com- 
 pleted their investigation that the true route over which the Lincolns 
 actually traveled in said migration is over the route above suggested 
 and that said Commission will so determine." 
 
 The record evidence submitted in the brief is compiled to sup- 
 port the establishment and availability to two different roads approach- 
 ing Boonville. Copies of duly authorized public records are exhibited 
 to prove: 
 
 "That there was a well-defined and much used wagon road known 
 as the Boonville and Corydon Road that ran westward past the home 
 of the Lincolns and through Jonesboro in Spencer County, crossing 
 Pigeon Creek just west of Jonesboro and thence continuing west past 
 the settlement known in those days as Loafer's Station in Warrick 
 County, two miles north of where the town of Tennyson now is, thence 
 continuing west veering to the southwest to Boonville, the county seat 
 of Warrick County." 
 
 Further documentary evidence is submitted to show the location 
 of a road from Boonville north to Petersburg. The compilers also 
 state that "other similar records of appointments of supervisors on 
 these two roads during the same period could be shown, but we think 
 the above records are enough to show that the roads in question were 
 prior to 1830 good wagon roads, and we do not deem it necessary to 
 encumber this brief with copies of the records of all such appoint- 
 ments." 
 
 The record evidence prepared by the Warrick County Lincoln 
 Route Association is summarized in these words: 
 
 "The town of Gentryville was not in existence at the time the Lin- 
 colns left Indiana. When the Lincolns left their old home to go to 
 Illinois they came west on the above mentioned Boonville and Corydon 
 Road to this Jones' store and were there met by a number of their old 
 neighbors to bid them good-bye. . . . They left this store and went 
 west toward Boonville on said Boonville and Corydon Road and sev- 
 eral of the neighbors went with them as far as Pigeon Creek, which 
 was about one-half mile west of Jones' store, and after seeing them 
 safely across this creek the neighbors returned to their respective 
 homes. The Lincolns continued westward on said route to Boonville, 
 thence north up the Boonville and Petersburg Road to Petersburg, and 
 thence from Petersburg to Vincennes. . . . 
 
 "We sincerely and earnestly insist that, if there were no other 
 
 ■<42>- 
 
evidence than the record evidence herein above cited, any reasonable 
 mind would be convinced thereby that the Lincolns traveled the well 
 established highways westward from their home to Boonville and north 
 from Boonville to Petersburg, which roads, as the records show, had 
 been for many years worked under competent supervisors appointed 
 by public authority and the principal creeks had been bridged." 
 
 The affidavit evidence submitted is supplied by Captain William 
 Jones, Allen Gentry, Robert M. Gentry, Sarah Gray, Elizabeth A. Goad, 
 Mary E. Floyd, Bartley Inco, Jacob Clark, L. B. Barker, Francis M. 
 Carlisle, George W. Roberts, James W. Phillips, James Blackford, Jacob 
 Oskins, Louella Ashley, Isaac G. Cissna, James E. Stephens, Cordie 
 Hagan Thompson, John R. Wright, Ben Leslie, and W. H. Scales. 
 
 The contents of these affidavits can be summarized in this state- 
 ment in the brief: 
 
 "That all of the testimony coming from the people around and 
 near Lincoln's home and what is now Lincoln City and Gentryville with 
 one accord and without a dissenting voice say that the Lincolns went 
 by the Jones store and from there westward toward Boonville when 
 they started to Illinois, and many of them state that there was no wagon 
 road leading north from that community at that time." 
 
 The argument of the brief calls attention to the construction of 
 bridges, entries of land, necessity of roads suitable for wagon travel, 
 homes of friends along the route, especially church connections, shorter 
 mileage, mail routes, and the alleged fallacies in the Cravens-Weik 
 Report. 
 
 The argument is brought to a close as follows: 
 
 "In conclusion, we respectfully submit that we have shown by the 
 evidence set out in this brief at least three reasons that we think should 
 convince your Honorable Commission that the migratory route of the 
 Lincolns from their home in Spencer County to Illinois went through 
 Warrick County over the Corydon and Boonville Road to Boonville and 
 the Boonville and Petersburg Road to Petersburg. 
 
 "First, the record evidence set out in this brief conclusively shows 
 that at the time the Lincolns made their said migration, the Corydon 
 and Boonville Road and the Boonville and Petersburg Road were well- 
 defined public highways constantly in use for wagon travel, and the 
 principal creeks had been bridged and crossways laid, and there were 
 churches and school houses located along the same. 
 
 "Second, the fact that there were churches and school houses along 
 these two roads shows that the country along the same was thickly 
 
 ■4 43 fc- 
 
settled for those days and the evidence also shows that church and 
 other acquaintances and even relatives of the Lincolns lived along these 
 two roads, and that it would, therefore, be reasonable that they would 
 travel over the route along which they had acquaintances and rela- 
 tives. 
 
 "Third, the letter and affidavit evidence set out in this brief is 
 very strong and convincing that the Lincolns did, in fact, travel over 
 these two roads. The letters and affidavits that we present in this brief 
 are by descendants of those who knew first hand of the facts that are 
 related in the affidavits and the affidavits are made by prominent citi- 
 zens who we are sure could not be induced to make any false state- 
 ment because of any private interest they might have in the matter, and 
 are made mostly by the people who could not possibly have any in- 
 terest as to which way the route is established by your Commission, 
 except that they want to see it established according to the real 
 facts. 
 
 "All of this evidence, it seems to us, has great driving force to con- 
 vince your Honorable Commission that the Lincolns, in their migra- 
 tion, traveled over the route hereinabove indicated, and we earnestly 
 pray that your Honorable Commission will so decide." 
 
 PART TEN 
 
 Observations on the 1 830 Migration 
 
 Individual members of the Indiana Lincoln Memorial Way Com- 
 mission, after having spent several months in going over the testi- 
 mony offered in the briefs, digests of which have been submitted, 
 and having come to their individual conclusions, decided the time had 
 arrived for some definite action to be taken by the Commission as a 
 whole. Consequently three days, November 12, 13 and 14, were set 
 aside for deliberation, and meetings were held in Louisville, Kentucky; 
 Evansville, Indiana, and Lincoln City, Indiana, respectively. 
 
 At a joint session with the Kentucky Commission on November 
 12, the Kentucky group decided to bring their section of the highway 
 across the Ohio River at Cannelton, Indiana. The Illinois Commis- 
 sion in the meantime had designated a point on the Wabash River op- 
 
 ■4 44 Js- 
 
posite Vincennes as the southeast terminal of the Illinois route. After 
 observing that all of the briefs submitted implied that the Lincolns 
 approached Vincennes as they neared the Wabash, the Indiana Commis- 
 sion decided to concur with the Illinois Commission as to the place of 
 crossing. With both the Kentucky and Illinois junction points deter- 
 mined on, the Indiana Commission prepared to mark the Lincoln 
 Memorial Way across the Hoosier state. 
 
 On November 13 the Commission started at Hodgenville, Ken- 
 tucky, and followed the proposed trail as near as possible through 
 Kentucky, crossed the Ohio River at Cannelton, and continued over the 
 proposed route in Indiana to Lincoln City. Having made a thorough 
 study of this trail for several weeks and having given it careful con- 
 sideration on the evening before, the most likely route followed by 
 the Lincolns in the 1816 migration became firmly fixed in the minds 
 of the commissioners. 
 
 The conferences held during the remainder of the three days that 
 the Commission was in session were given over entirely to evidence 
 bearing on the 1830 migration. The following questions came up 
 which were thoroughly discussed and conclusions drawn as to the value 
 of the testimony bearing on these specific questions: 
 
 a. Reminiscences of Members of the Migrating Group 
 
 b. Evidence in the Briefs Referring to Places and People 
 
 c. Available Roads in 1830 
 
 d. Frequency of Travel over Available Roads 
 
 e. Road Elevations and Streams 
 
 f. Comparative Mileage of Various Routes 
 
 g. Sections of Suggested Routes in Agreement 
 
 a. REMINISCENCES OF MEMBERS OF THE GROUP 
 
 Those best qualified to testify as to the route followed through In- 
 diana were the people who comprised the party of immigrants. Inas- 
 much as some of the briefs presented lay much stress on the traditional 
 statements of certain members of the migrating group, a careful exam- 
 ination of this testimony was necessary. 
 
 If this Commission had before it the testimony of Abraham Lin- 
 coln, signed with his own hand, stating that in the migration of the 
 family from Indiana to Illinois they passed through certain towns, it 
 would consider that part of the question closed. 
 
 What we do have is a reported conversation of Mr. Lincoln. The 
 Daviess County brief reports Charles N. Thompson's conclusion of 
 
 ■4 45 >• 
 
the origin of the evidence as follows: "Mr. Lincoln's account was 
 given to Col. Chapman thirty years after the events described, and 
 thirty-five years later it was handed on apparently from memory to 
 Mr. Weik, who made a written record of it." 8 Mr. Weik's notes on 
 the conference with Col. Chapman were not made public until 1913, 
 seventeen years after the interview. 
 
 It is not necessary to point out the possibility of error in these 
 verbal and written transfers of information, which was not considered, 
 according to Mr. Weik, of any great importance at the time the notes 
 were made. First, one would question the ability of Mr. Chapman 
 to recall with accuracy the conversation with Abraham Lincoln which 
 had taken place thirty-five years before. 
 
 Again there is evidence that the notes made by Mr. Weik at the 
 time of his interview were by no means complete or in detail, and 
 that he could not hope to elaborate on them with any degree of cer- 
 tainty seventeen years after the conference had occurred. One is con- 
 vinced that the original notes of Mr. Weik were very much abbreviated 
 by studying the two different printed versions of the notes appearing 
 in the Investigation of the Lincoln Way, published by the Illinois State 
 Historical Society, and in The Lincoln Way, the report submitted to 
 Governor Ralston by the Cravens-Weik Commission. 
 
 On November 28, 1913, Mr. Weik wrote to C. M. Thompson, who 
 was making investigations on the Lincoln Way in Illinois, as follows: 
 "I enclose herewith a copy of my interview with Colonel Chapman 
 and his wife in January, 1896." An excerpt containing the story of 
 the Indiana migration follows: 
 
 "Colonel Augustus H. Chapman: married daughter of Dennis 
 Hanks and latter has been living with us off and on for many years; 
 have often talked to him about the journey from Indiana to Kentucky 
 in 1839; also with Sarah Bush Lincoln, his mother-in-law, who also 
 lived in my family for some time prior to her death in 1869. Late in 
 January, 1861, when Mr. Lincoln came to Charleston to visit his step- 
 mother, I rode with him to the graveyard in the country where his 
 father was buried; he had spent the previous night at my house where 
 the old lady then lived. We got to talking about the journey from 
 Indiana in 1830; he agreed substantially with Hanks as to the route 
 they took; said they went from Gentryville to Jasper in Dubois County, 
 thence to Washington, Daviess County, then to Vincennes where they 
 
 'Daviess County Memorial Way Association, (a) p. 14. 
 
crossed the Wabash, thence towards Lawrenceville where they turned 
 north and pushed on to Palestine in Crawford County." 7 
 
 Three years after this copy of the Chapman reminiscences was 
 sent to Mr. Thompson, Mr. Weik had reason to use what was pur- 
 ported to be the same testimony in his report prepared for Governor 
 Ralston. The words of Mr. Chapman in this instance are put in quo- 
 tation marks, but inasmuch as both of the printed reports are written 
 in the first person it would imply that the statements had been released 
 verbatim as appearing in the notes of Mr. Weik. A comparison of the 
 former version with this one in the Ralston report will convince the 
 reader that Mr. Weik took some liberty in extending and revising the 
 reminiscences of Mr. Chapman as furnished to Mr. Thompson. 
 
 "I married the daughter of Dennis Hanks, and the latter has been 
 living with us for many years; have often talked to him about the re- 
 moval from Indiana to Illinois in 1830, also with Sarah Bush Lincoln, 
 his mother-in-law, who also lived in my family for some time prior to 
 her death in 1869. One evening in February, 1861, Mr. Lincoln ar- 
 rived in Charleston to visit his father's grave and also his stepmother, 
 who happened to be at the home of a daughter near the village of 
 Farmington in the country. He spent the night at the residence of 
 Thomas A. Marshall, who was a State Senator residing in Charleston. 
 The next morning early he walked over to the home of his cousin Den- 
 nis Hanks, after which he and I got into a buggy and started to drive 
 to Farmington. Our conversation during the ride was devoted largely 
 to family history. Among other things we got to talking about the 
 journey from Indiana; he agreed substantially with Dennis Hanks as 
 to the route they took; said they went from Gentry ville to Jasper, 
 thence to Washington and on to Vincennes, where they crossed the 
 Wabash." 8 
 
 The report of Mr. Weik's own interview with Hanks follows: 
 "At noon reached Paris where I met Mrs. Chapman and her 
 father, Dennis Hanks; later told about life of Lincoln in Indiana and 
 Illinois. Said he came to Indiana from Kentucky in year after Lin- 
 coln's arrival, but accompanied them from Indiana to Illinois; they 
 went from Gentryville to Jasper, thence to Petersburg and Vincennes 
 where they crossed the Wabash." 9 
 
 7 Investigation of the Lincoln Way, p. 33. 
 
 8 Report of the Lincoln Highway Commission to Governor Samuel M. Ralston, 
 8. 
 
 "Ibid, p. 10. 
 
 ■4 47 If=- 
 
Mr. Weik received during the interval between the publishing of 
 the preceding exhibits a sworn testimony from James H. McCall, who 
 had interviewed Dennis Hanks in 1886 or 1887. He claimed Hanks 
 told him that "they traveled north from Gentryville, Indiana, to Peters- 
 burg, where they crossed the White River, thence to Vincennes." 10 
 
 It is well known that Jasper was not in existence at the time Hanks 
 is supposed to have remembered passing through there. What Abra- 
 ham Lincoln told Chapman in 1860, thirty-five years before a written 
 account was made of the casual conversation, is problematical, and it 
 is with just as much difficulty that we are able to learn the specific in- 
 formation Weik incorporated in the original Chapman notes, variously 
 interpreted seventeen years later. As there seem to be three possible 
 routes implied by the testimonial evidence coming down from the mem- 
 bers of the migrating group, the present Commission cannot agree with 
 the Ralston Commission that one of these testimonies is more likely to 
 be correct than the other two. 
 
 b. EVIDENCE REFERRING TO PLACES AND PEOPLE 
 
 After reviewing the evidence emanating from members of the mi- 
 grating group, the next most likely source of information about the 
 journey was the affidavit evidence gathered, coming down from those 
 who are supposed to have witnessed the migration. Two classes of 
 testimony will be of interest just here, those relating to the stopping 
 places of the caravan and those referring to personal contacts with the 
 Lincolns while they were enroute to Illinois. 
 
 One of the most important considerations which was called to the 
 attention of the Commission by the evidence submitted was the probable 
 location of the camp which the Lincolns occupied on the first night 
 of their journey. Definite information on this subject would indicate 
 the general direction in which they started from their own home. What 
 the Commission discovered was not one camp but three different camps 
 widely separated, which were occupied by the emigrants. 
 
 Here is a summary of the evidence submitted on this question: 
 
 (a) They "went into camp on the farm of John Phillips near 
 Little Zion Baptist Church about one-half mile west of Loafer's Station, 
 which was at that time located about two miles north of where the 
 town of Tenneson now is." 11 
 
 Ibid, p. 11. 
 
 Warrick County Lincoln Route Association, p. 27 
 
 ■4 48 |> 
 
(b) "The said (Bennett) Thompson knew the family moving 
 from Gentryville to Illinois and on the occasion of this journey, while 
 camping for the night near Polk Patch (now Selvin), etc." 12 
 
 (c) "The trip between James Gentry's home and Enlow's Mill 
 (Jasper), was about twenty-five miles, and it would have required about 
 two days of steady traveling to make the journey. One camp had been 
 made." 13 
 
 While this last statement which implies a camp at some point 
 midway between Gentryville and Jasper is not in the form of an affi- 
 davit, other affidavits which testify to the Lincolns having traveled over 
 the route indirectly offer a camping place at this midway point. 
 
 It will be observed that three separate and distinct roads, one lead- 
 ing west, another northwest, and a third north, claim a first night camp 
 of the Lincolns. It is also possible to compile many other camping 
 places on widely separated roads running in different directions, where 
 it is said the Lincolns camped at some time on their journey through 
 Indiana. 
 
 The evidence which would identify certain people the Lincolns 
 met on this trip would be of great value if there appeared to be any 
 logical sequence in these meetings. For instance — there was a horse 
 trade made by Thomas Lincoln in Warrick County with John Romine, 
 another made in Daviess County with Overton Cosby, Sr., and still an- 
 other in Pike County, each on different routes. 14 
 
 The supposition that Abraham Lincoln's admiration for Miss Julia 
 Evans, of Princeton, may have directed the caravan in that direction 
 is advanced. Thomas Lincoln's Baptist brethren who lived on the route 
 by the way of Boonville, are said to have influenced the party to travel 
 that way. Friends of the Lincolns at Polk Patch and Hanks' relatives 
 farther west in Indiana greeted the Lincolns. The family miller, Enlow, 
 who often ground the grain for the family, is among those who are 
 supposed to have met them on this memorable trip. Most of these ac- 
 quaintances and relatives, however, lived on different roads and in 
 different directions from the Spencer County location of the Lincolns. 15 
 
 Then there is the dual personality of Elliot Chappell who seemed 
 
 12 Selvin Community Group, AHidavit of Fred Patberg. 
 
 13 The Buffalo Trace Historical Association, p. 12. 
 
 " Warrick County Lincoln Route Association, p. 47. Daviess County Memorial 
 Way Association, p. 21. The Buffalo Trace Historical Association, p. 76. 
 
 M Princeton Rotary, Kiwanis and Advertising Clubs, p. 17. Warrick County 
 Lincoln Route Association, pp. 16, 59. Selvin Community Group, Affidavit of 
 Thomas Nalley. The Buffalo Trace Historical Association, p. 13. 
 
to have been living in two different counties and greeted the Lincolns 
 at the same time in both locations. 16 
 
 These few incidents mentioning persons and places have not been 
 submitted in any attempt to belittle the efforts put forth by various 
 groups to gather all the evidence available bearing on this migration 
 but to illustrate how impossible it is to bring any considerable number 
 of these testimonies into harmony. A statement in one of the briefs sub- 
 mitted expresses the sentiments of the Commission which has found 
 these traditions "so utterly conflicting and irreconcilable as to render 
 them of no probative value." 17 
 
 After a careful and painstaking review of all the testimonial and 
 affidavit evidence, the Commission feels that it is not able to establish, 
 beyond the reason of a doubt, one single point in the state of Indiana 
 which was touched by the Lincoln caravan, after it left the Spencer 
 County home. 
 
 The Commission does not wish to imply by this statement that it 
 questions the sincerity of any one of the large number of people who 
 have submitted evidence for the consideration of the Commission. Fur- 
 thermore, it has no reason to believe that there has been any attempt 
 to supply evidence that did not appear to be in harmony with what 
 the petitioning groups considered authentic testimony. The fact re- 
 mains, however, that the evidence cannot be brought into harmony. 
 
 c. AVAILABLE ROADS 
 
 The next step of the Commission called for the compiling of data 
 which referred to the available wagon roads the Lincolns might have 
 traveled. When they first started to study the road conditions existing 
 in the year 1830, they thought the task of selecting the probable route 
 over which the Lincolns traveled might be chosen by the process of 
 elimination. This was the viewpoint of some of the contesting groups 
 who felt that the Commission would have an easy task if it merely con- 
 sidered available wagon roads. But two exhibits are necessary to illus- 
 trate this inference. 
 
 "At the time the Lincolns left Indiana to go to Illinois in 1830, 
 there was no wagon road over which the Lincolns could have traveled 
 north from their home settlement nor from Jonesboro . . . the only 
 practical wagon road for them to travel with their heavily loaded wagon 
 
 16 The Buffalo Trace Historical Association, p. 71. Daviess County Memorial 
 Way Association, (d) p. 3. 
 
 11 Vincennes Chamber of Commerce, p. 1. 
 
 ■4 50 fc- 
 
drawn by two ox teams was west on the Corydon and Boonville road to 
 Boonville and then north on the old Boonville and Petersburgh road to 
 Petersburgh." 18 
 
 From the viewpoint of other observers a road running north was 
 the only way for travel as is indicated by the following conclusion: 
 
 "Just as at Gentry's home in Spencer County, there was but one 
 way which was practical for wagon travel at that season of the year, 
 so at Enlow's mill there was but one way which was possible for a 
 loaded wagon." 19 
 
 As the study of road conditions progressed, the Commission was 
 convinced that there were many wagon roads between the Spencer 
 County home of the Lincolns and Vincennes which the Lincolns might 
 have followed. In fact nearly every road contending for the Lincoln 
 route through Indiana seemed to have some superior qualifications 
 over the other competing roads. Some of the claims for these early 
 trails follow: 
 
 Yellow Banks and Buffalo Trace 
 
 "The road through Ireland, Otwell, Algiers and on to Peters- 
 burgh was the oldest, the driest, the most improved, and the most 
 thickly settled road in southern Indiana at the time." 
 
 "The Yellow Banks Trail and the Buffalo Trace are along the 
 highest ridge road and traversed by fewer streams than any other fifty 
 or sixty miles in southern Indiana." 20 
 
 Portersville to Washington and Vincennes 
 "There was a state road from Rockport over the same route before 
 the year of the Lincoln migration to Illinois. This road connected at 
 Portersville with the best and shortest route to Vincennes. It was a 
 good road for those days over a high and generally a dry soil." 12 
 
 Polk Patch and Petersburg 
 
 "Polk Patch road from Lincoln City to Petersburg is a high ridge 
 road all the way, no creeks to cross amounting to anything to speak of 
 until you get to Patoka River at Ferry, and the only road for Lincoln 
 to travel, the direct road to Vincennes." 
 
 "Now you will find evidence on all the routes but common sense 
 
 18 Warrick County Lincoln Route Association, p. 14. 
 
 19 The Buffalo Trace Historical Association, p. 19. 
 
 30 The Buffalo Trace Historical Association, pp. 20, 78. 
 21 Daviess County Memorial Way Association, (d) p. 3. 
 
 •451 Js- 
 
will teach us that he wouldn't go twenty-five miles out of his way trav- 
 eling an ox-team ten to fifteen miles a day." 22 
 
 Polk Patch, Princeton, and Vincennes 
 
 "The Lincolns knew the Fredonia road from Selvin to Princeton 
 and the Evansville stage route to Vincennes; they knew the compara- 
 tive comfort of this route at that season of the year over any other route, 
 and as sensible men, although backwoodsmen, we must conclude that 
 they adopted and traveled the road which entailed the least expense for 
 ferriage, provided the driest trackage and provided the best settled 
 way of any of the routes which they considered." 
 
 . . . "No route presents an elevated ridge traversed for such a dis- 
 tance as that between Polk Patch and Princeton." 23 
 
 Gentryville to Boonville and Petersburg 
 "We sincerely and earnestly insist that, if there were no other evi- 
 dence than the record evidence herein above cited, any reasonable mind 
 would be convinced thereby that the Lincolns traveled the well estab- 
 lished highways westward from their home to Boonville and north from 
 Boonville to Petersburgh, which roads, as the records show, had been, 
 for many years, worked under competent supervisors appointed by 
 public authority, and the principal creeks had been bridged." 24 
 
 Sufficient documentary evidence has been submitted in the different 
 briefs to establish the opening and working of the following roads, 
 any one of which might have been used by the Lincolns in moving by 
 wagon from the Spencer County home to Vincennes in the year 1830: 
 
 (a) Yellow Banks Trail from Rockport to Portersville. 
 
 (b) Portersville to Vincennes via Washington. 
 
 (c) Buffalo Trail from point on Yellow Banks Trail south of 
 Portersville to Vincennes via Petersburg. 
 
 (d) Troy to Vincennes via Polk Patch and Petersburg. 
 
 (e) Fredonia to Princeton via Polk Patch. 
 
 (f) Evansville to Vincennes via Princeton. 
 
 (g) Corydon to Evansville via Boonville. 
 (h) Boonville to Vincennes via Petersburg. 
 
 22 Selvin Community Group, Affidavits. 
 
 23 Princeton Rotary, Kiwanis, and Advertising Clubs, pp. 13, 17. 
 u Warrick County Lincoln Route Association, p. 16. 
 
 ■•< 52 $=• 
 
d. FREQUENTLY TRAVELED ROADS 
 
 With so many possible routes under consideration it became a mat- 
 ter of importance to consider the frequency of travel over these roads. 
 The first available evidence which established several of these routes as 
 
 ••=$ 53 J!*- 
 
of more or less importance was the carrying of mail between certain 
 points. The Louisville and Vincennes trail, known by several different 
 names, by the year 1830 had two well defined routes approaching Vin- 
 cennes, known as the northern and southern routes, one passing through 
 Washington and the other through Petersburg. This was the most used 
 route passing through Indiana at that time. This might be called one 
 of the earliest post roads in the state, and it was joined at Washington 
 by another post road from Rockport passing by Gentry's store near 
 the Lincoln home. This would establish a post road all the way from 
 Gentryville to Vincennes. 
 
 In the Western Sun (Vincennes) for January 10, 1824, we read 
 that "The United States mail stage will commence running between 
 Vincennes and Evansville on the Ohio on the fourteenth day of July 
 next. The hour of departure from Vincennes will be at 8:00 o'clock 
 a. m. on Wednesday, arriving at Princeton on the same day, 5:00 p. m. 
 Leaving Princeton on Thursday at 5:00 a. m., arriving at Evansville at 
 5:00 p. m." In the Western Sun for October 10, 1829, the mail route 
 from Fredonia to Princeton is mentioned. This would pass by the Lin- 
 coln home, going to Princeton by the way of Polk Patch, also providing 
 a post road the entire distance from the Lincoln home to Vincennes 
 via Princeton. 
 
 There was also advertised in the Wabash Telegraph (Vincennes) 
 of September 26, 1828, a request for proposals for carrying the mail, 
 "'From Vincennes. by Petersburg, to Boonville, once a week, 62 miles. 
 Leave Vincennes every Wednesday at 5:00 a. m. and arrive at Boon- 
 ville on Thursday by 11:00 a. m. Leave same every Thursday at 
 1:00 p. m. and arrive at Vincennes on Friday by 7:00 p. m." In 
 October, 1829, however, the distance of the mail route from Vincennes 
 to Boonville via Petersburg was given at 53 miles. There is no evi- 
 dence, however, that there was a mail route from Gentryville to Boon- 
 ville, the route from Louisville to Evansville passing through Rockport 
 and Boonville caring for the mail that might be transferred at Rock- 
 port. The mail route from Fredonia to Princeton would cross both 
 the Rockport-Portersville and the Boonville-Petersburg route and con- 
 nect with the Evansville-Vincennes route at Princeton. 
 
 This system of post roads in operation before 1830 gives a survey 
 of a series of roads in general use for the conveyance of mail at this 
 period. 
 
 Another system of roads, and possibly more fundamental than the 
 post roads in determining the frequency of travel, would be the roads 
 
connecting the seats of justice in the various counties. In the year 
 1830 the following county-seats were connected by roads which there 
 is every reason to believe were available for wagons: Rockport, Rome, 
 Corydon, Portersville, Washington, Vincennes, Petersburg, Princeton, 
 Boonville, etc. Constant travel over these roads used in approaching 
 the county-seats and in traveling from one county-seat to another would 
 help to improve the trails. The merchants who were operating stores 
 at these places would need adequate roads over which to bring their 
 stocks of goods. 
 
 Possibly a still more important factor in making well-defined and 
 passable roads through the country was the countless caravans of cov- 
 ered wagons which were coming to the western country in great num- 
 bers, many of them remaining in Indiana but still others crossing the 
 state into Illinois. In the latter instance all the trails leading to Vin- 
 cennes would be utilized to the utmost. The population of Indiana in- 
 creased from 63,000 at the time of the 1816 migration of the Lincolns 
 to 341,582 at the time of the 1830 migration of the family. Of course 
 this increase was largest in the southern part of the state, as the north- 
 ern section was still a wilderness. These people in most instances 
 moved heavily loaded wagons into and through the country, and there 
 must have been roads over which they could travel. 
 
 The location of the general land office at Vincennes made that city 
 one of chief importance in the Northwest for a great many years. While 
 many of the pioneers walked, or rode a horse, to this place to secure 
 their land patents, others who had already settled their claims and had 
 gone back after their families drove their heavily loaded wagons by 
 this city in order that their patents might be secured enroute. 
 
 About the beginning of the nineteenth century a settlement of 
 people was formed near the mouth of Anderson River which soon be- 
 came as prominent a place on the Ohio, as a shipping point, as its 
 sister city in southern Indiana on the Wabash became known as a land 
 office. 
 
 A town was established here in 1811 which later became the county 
 seat of Perry County. After the division of the county, however, in 
 1818, the county seat was removed to a more centrally located point. 
 Troy was the nearest and largest trading center for the Lincolns during 
 most of their Indiana residence. 
 
 Three main trails reached out from Vincennes in the early days 
 and the terminal of each one of these and their subsidiary trails was 
 the Ohio River. To the east through Washington was Louisville, to 
 
 ■4 55 g» 
 
the south through Princeton was Evansville. The trail running mid- 
 way between these roads in a southeast direction passed through Peters- 
 burg and at a point known as Polk Patch forked, one branch going to 
 Troy and the other to Rockport and Owensboro. That these were the 
 three great main roads of travel connecting Vincennes with the above 
 named important Ohio River cities of that day is generally admitted. 
 
 Polk Patch, now Selvin, the junction point of the Rockport and 
 Troy trails to Vincennes, is about ten miles from where the Lincoln 
 family settled in 1816. The trail from Troy to Polk Patch passed 
 about three miles northeast of their home site, and the road from Rock- 
 port to Polk Patch went by Gentry's store, a somewhat shorter distance 
 to the southwest. Polk Patch not only became an important junction 
 because of these two important roads uniting there, but soon roads 
 were extended from the Polk Patch to Princeton, and to Boonville. 
 When the Lincolns migrated through Vincennes in 1830 the Commission 
 is of the opinion that after having lived for fourteen years midway 
 between these branches of the main trails to Vincennes which con- 
 verged at Polk Patch, they would not choose another route in prefer- 
 ence to it. 
 
 When the town lots of Petersburg were advertised for sale in the 
 Western Sun of March 15, 1817, the following account of its location 
 was given: 
 
 "PETERSBURGH is situated one and a half miles from White 
 River, surrounded by an extensive country of rich and fertile land, and 
 in the centre of a large settlement of good farmers; it lies 20 miles 
 from Vincennes & 22 from Princeton, from each of which places a 
 public road passes through Petersburgh, to Louisville, and is on a direct 
 line from Troy, the county seat of Perry county, to Vincennes." 
 
 The significance of the town of Troy in determining the course of 
 travel during the entire residence of the Lincolns in Indiana cannot be 
 over estimated. The moving of the county seat from Troy did not 
 seriously interfere with its river trade, and during a long period of 
 years it was the largest town on the Indiana side of the Ohio River 
 between New Albany and Evansville. 
 
 Over the Troy-Vincennes road between their home and Vincennes 
 it is certain that three members of the Lincoln family had traveled pre- 
 vious to their migration. Thomas Lincoln had gone to Vincennes dur- 
 ing the week of October 15, 1817, to enter his land. Ten years later 
 on April 30, 1827, he was in Vincennes to release one-half of his 
 quarter section and complete payment on the other half. Tradition 
 
 ■4 56 \t- 
 
claims that Abraham Lincoln and Henry Brooner walked to Vincennes 
 at one time and purchased a gun in partnership. Dennis Hanks, in 
 1829, went to the Illinois county to "'spy out the land" and it is not 
 likely that any of these men would have deviated far from the most 
 direct line in traveling to their destination. 
 
 It appears to the Commission that no road between the place now 
 known as Lincoln City and Vincennes could have been more often 
 traveled by those passing between these two points than the old Troy- 
 Vincennes road via Polk Patch and Petersburg. 
 
 e. ROAD ELEVATIONS AND STREAMS 
 
 The season of the year in which the Lincolns migrated would 
 cause them to give some thought to the road conditions with which 
 they would have to contend on the several routes available. March 
 first in southern Indiana in 1830 could not have been the most favor- 
 able time of the year to travel, although we have evidence that the year 
 they moved was not remarkable for its high water. The Vincennes Sun 
 for March 13, 1830, which came from the press about a week after the 
 Lincolns passed through the town, contains this note about the stage 
 of the river: "The Wabash River is up again in good navigable order 
 and steamboats again passing. The Virginia arrived last Thursday 
 night and after laying about two hours proceeded up bound for Lafay- 
 ette." The implication here is that the river had been low and rains 
 having set in about the time the Lincolns reached Illinois would con- 
 firm the story of swollen streams with which the Lincolns were con- 
 fronted during the part of their journey through that state. 
 
 It would appear from the briefs submitted to the Commission that 
 any one of the roads over which the Lincolns may have traveled was 
 a ''ridge road." A summary of the evidence follows: 
 
 (a) Yellow Bank and Buffalo Trace — "Along the highest ridge 
 road and traversed by fewer streams than any other fifty or sixty miles 
 in southern Indiana." 25 
 
 (b) Portersville to Vincennes via Washington — "It was a good 
 road for those days over a high and generally dry soil." 26 
 
 (c) Lincoln City to Petersburg via Polk Patch — -"A high ridge 
 road all the way." 27 
 
 25 The Buffalo Trace Historical Association, p. 12. 
 
 26 Daviess County Memorial Way Association, p. 3. 
 
 27 Selvin Community Group, Affidavit of George T. Woolsen. 
 
 ■4 57 lis- 
 
(d) Polk Patch, Princeton, and Vincennes — "No route presents 
 an elevated ridge traversed for so great a distance." 28 
 
 (e) Boonville to Petersburg — "The principal creeks had been 
 bridged." 29 
 
 There is also evidence in these briefs which show that on every 
 one of these routes some of the streams had been bridged by the year 
 1830. The crossing of the rivers was given the most serious considera- 
 tion by the Cravens-Weik Commission in their report; in fact, the major 
 points from which they drew their conclusions would come under this 
 discussion of Road Elevation and Streams. The argument which 
 weighed most heavily in their conclusions and the route they selected 
 follows: 
 
 "After leaving Jasper several other routes existed over which they 
 might have reached their destination. They could have continued their 
 way northward to Portersville and then turned west following the 
 Buffalo Trace, keeping on the south side of White River to Petersburg; 
 or they might have stopped on this latter road at a point a few miles 
 east of Petersburg called High Banks and crossed the East Fork of 
 White River where it is fordable at times; or they might have turned 
 to the right at Petersburg and followed the road which leads north- 
 ward to Washington. In all but one of these cases, however, it would 
 have been necessary to cross White River twice. 
 
 '"The great and convincing argument in support of the Petersburg 
 route is that it necessitated crossing White River but once. This fact 
 was undoubtedly known to Thomas Lincoln because he had already 
 made one round trip between Gentryville and Vincennes, and possibly 
 another. Ferrying the rivers in those days involved more or less ex- 
 pense, so that people as poor as the Lincolns would naturally be in- 
 clined to avoid the outlay whenever possible." 30 
 
 In the report of the Cravens-Weik Commission it will be observed 
 that "the great and convincing argument" which finally influenced them 
 to decide that the Lincolns went by the way of Petersburg was the 
 necessity of crossing White River but once. The present Commission 
 finds itself in agreement with the argument that a single crossing of the 
 largest river enroute would be more desirable than two crossings of 
 the stream. 
 
 :s Princeton Rotary, Kiwanis, and Advertising Clubs, p. 13. 
 
 29 Warrick County Lincoln Route Association, p. 16. 
 
 30 Report of the Lincoln Highway Commission to Governor Samuel M. Ralston, 
 p. 15. 
 
 •4 58 >•■ 
 
Next in importance to the crossing of White River the Cravens-Weik 
 Commission considered the elevation of the traveled route and their 
 conclusions on this point follow: "Another reason why the Lincolns 
 chose the Jasper-Petersburg route is because the land is high — in fact a 
 long ridge, a veritable water-shed stretches between the points named." 31 
 
 It would appear from the briefs submitted to the present Commis- 
 sion that every road which led from the Lincolns' home to Vincennes 
 had this peculiar advantage of a ridge road, so that this feature could 
 not well be a determining factor in favor of the Jasper-Petersburg 
 route to the exclusion of the other ridge roads. 
 
 f. MILEAGE OF VARIOUS ROUTES 
 
 An excerpt from an autobiographical sketch which appears in the 
 preliminaries of this report gives us definite information as to how the 
 Lincolns traveled. Abraham Lincoln said : "Their mode of conveyance 
 was wagons drawn by ox-teams, and Abraham drove one of the teams." 
 Evidence submitted in some of the briefs hold that an ox-team could 
 not travel more than ten or twelve miles a day with a heavily loaded 
 wagon. This would make the matter of mileage one of serious con- 
 sideration in mapping out the itinerary. While it is impossible to give 
 an accurate mileage of the various available routes due to the fact that 
 the road-beds were continually being changed, a fair estimate can be 
 given of the length of the routes from the home in Spencer County to 
 Vincennes. 
 
 Dependence cannot always be placed on the mileage given in the 
 early reports of the distance of mail routes, as has already been illus- 
 trated. Other illustrations could be offered which would show in- 
 accuracies in the calculations. The Commission, after carefully tracing 
 the courses of the probable routes, submits this table as an approxi- 
 mate distance the Lincolns would have had to have traveled on any one 
 of the following routes: 
 
 (a) Via Portersville and Washington 71 miles 
 
 (b) Via Jasper and Petersburg 69 miles 
 
 (c) Via Polk Patch and Petersburg 55 miles 
 
 (d) Via Polk Patch and Princeton 66 miles 
 
 (e) Via Boonville and Petersburg 72 miles 
 
 This schedule was completed before the receipt of a similar sum- 
 mary submitted in the Princeton brief, and it is in close agreement 
 
 31 Ibid, P . 15. 
 
 •4 59 Js- 
 
with all but one route, via Honey Springs and Petersburg, which is 
 not the course followed by the Polk Patch to Petersburg route. 32 
 
 It will be noted that there is a difference of seventeen miles be- 
 tween the shortest and longest route and eleven miles between the two 
 shortest routes. Excepting the shortest route the others do not differ in 
 length more than six miles. In traveling hours there would not be a 
 difference of more than half a day in four of the routes, while the 
 shortest route would cut the traveling time nearly a day and a half over 
 the longest route. 
 
 The Commission has not overlooked the superiority of this short 
 route over all other routes from the viewpoint of mileage, and it is pre- 
 sumed that the Lincoln family gave this fact serious consideration. 
 
 g. SECTIONS OF SUGGESTED ROUTES IN AGREEMENT 
 
 After studying the probable course of migration from all angles, 
 it occurred to the Commission that it might be well to consider the 
 briefs with reference to their points of agreement as to the probable 
 route taken by the Lincolns, and tabulate the votes for the different 
 sections. 
 
 In comparing the six briefs which present evidence bearing on the 
 departure of the Lincolns from Spencer County, two claim the Lincolns 
 started by the way of Jonesboro, two others trace them through Selvin, 
 and the other two support the northern route by the way of Jasper. It 
 appears that there is a hopeless division of opinion if an attempt is 
 made to make deductions from this end of the migratory route. 
 
 If a comparison of the briefs is made with reference to the ap- 
 proach at the Wabash River, all claimants are found to be in agree- 
 ment that the Lincolns finally arrived in Vincennes. Six briefs are also 
 considered in this study. Inasmuch as one group has limited its inves- 
 tigations to the various approaches to Vincennes, and one group is inter- 
 ested only in the departure of the Lincolns from Spencer County, the 
 number of briefs considered remains the same. The result of the find- 
 ings, however, is much different. One approach by the way of Prince- 
 ton is advocated, another by the way of Washington, but four are agreed 
 that the Lincolns came by the way of Petersburg. The Jonesboro 
 group, if they had continued their argument, also would have found it 
 necessary to send the Lincolns by the way of Petersburg, so in reality 
 the decision would be: one for Princeton, one for Washington, and five 
 for Petersburg. 
 
 82 Princeton Rotary, Kiwanis, and Advertising Clubs, p. 7. 
 
 ■4 60 >•• 
 
Taking Petersburg as an objective with but three groups approach- 
 ing the town, two of them claim the caravan came by the way of Wins- 
 low, while one advocates the Otwell route. The Jonesboro brief again 
 carried out to its final disposal of the Lincolns would also bring the 
 Lincolns over the Winslow route, making the count three for Winslow 
 and one for Otwell. 
 
 When an attempt is made to fix the favored route from Lincoln 
 City to Winslow, the hopeless deadlock already mentioned, in trying to 
 decide the direction of the route of exodus from the Spencer County 
 home, is encountered. South of Winslow the Princeton route converges 
 at Selvin with the route from Winslow via Stendal, and at Folsomville 
 the Jonesboro and Boonville routes coincide, as some affidavits in the 
 Jonesboro brief advocate an approach to Folsomville direct from 
 Lynnville. 
 
 If the Commission were to establish the route solely on the unit 
 votes of the various groups, it would in a great measure follow the route 
 selected by the Commission. 
 
 ■4 61 Jj> 
 
PART ELEVEN 
 
 Conclusions and Resolutions Submitted to 
 Governor Harry G. Leslie 
 
 With the findings on both the 1816 and 1830 migrations before 
 the Commision, it went into session at Evansville, Indiana, on 
 November 13 to make its final decision as to the most likely 
 route which the Lincolns followed in the two migrations which took 
 them across the state of Indiana. Four of the five members, and the 
 historian of the Commission were present. The Commission is very 
 frank to admit that it does not have, and is thoroughly convinced that 
 there is not now available absolute proof as to the route traveled by 
 the Lincolns during either one of the migrations. It has come to an 
 unanimous conclusion, however, about the location of what appears to 
 them to be the most likely route chosen by the migrating groups. 
 
 The Commission is not unmindful that at some future time there 
 may be discovered a manuscript which will definitely establish the 
 actual route followed, but it believes such a document would support 
 the route herein laid down. If there should be better evidence offered, 
 however, which would indicate some other route through Indiana, the 
 work of this Commission, if approved, will not be undone. The original 
 idea in the minds of the founders of this highway was to connect the 
 birthplace of Abraham Lincoln at Hodgenville, Kentucky, with his 
 burial place at Springfield, Illinois, with a road passing by the Spencer 
 County home of the Lincolns in Indiana. The present Lincoln City is 
 on a direct line of travel between Hodgenville and Springfield, and 
 there are no other points of interest associated with Abraham Lincoln 
 in Indiana, except in the community of his home, that are of sufficient 
 importance to divert the traveler from the course of his pilgrimage in 
 the journey from Lincoln's cradle to his grave. 
 
 Having been unable to bring into harmony the reminiscences of 
 members of the migrating group and having found the testimonies of 
 individuals referring to points the Lincolns may have touched on the 
 migration irreconcilable, the Commission has been obliged to rely on 
 the following deductions made from the observations already set forth. 
 
 4 62$=" 
 
The conclusion of the Commission with reference to the 1816 mi- 
 gration was not difficult to make after the point of crossing the Ohio 
 had been established by the Kentucky Commission as there was but 
 one available road between the crossing point and the home site. 
 
 The 1830 migration offered many available wagon roads but it 
 appears that the Troy-Vincennes trail must have been better known 
 to the Lincolns than any of the other routes because of the location of 
 their home and trips formerly made over the trail by members of the 
 family. 
 
 While nearly all of the various routes followed ridge roads when 
 possible, there was an advantage in the route having the minimum 
 number of streams to cross. The Commission finds itself in agreement 
 with the Cravens- Weik report about the advantage gained in crossing 
 White River but once, which fact they claim was "the great and con- 
 vincing argument" which brought them to their decision in favor of a 
 route via Petersburg. 
 
 When the very important question of mileage over the various 
 routes was considered, there was no road so favorably situated as the 
 one through Polk Patch and Petersburg which was 11 miles shorter 
 than its nearest competitor, and 17 miles shorter than the maximum 
 distance of other contending routes. 
 
 The Commission is very happy to observe that its findings are 
 more nearly in harmony with the arguments presented in the briefs 
 of interested groups than any other single route could possibly be. 
 
 After exhaustive discussion of the question of both the 1816 and 
 1830 migrations, the Commission was in unanimous agreement to 
 recommend to Governor Harry G. Leslie that the Indiana Lincoln 
 Memorial Way pass from the terminal of the Kentucky section which 
 ends at Hawesville, Kentucky, on the Ohio River, to that of the Illinois 
 section beginning with the new Wabash River bridge at Vincennes, 
 Indiana, over the following route: Cannelton, Tell City, Troy, cross- 
 ing the Anderson River, all over Highway No. 66, to a point where 
 the Old Santa Fe Trail takes off to the north and northwest. Following 
 this trail in a general northwesterly direction through Santa Claus and 
 striking Highway No. 162 at or near the Nancy Hanks Lincoln Memo- 
 rial, thence passing through the park to Gentryville, Selvin (Polk 
 Patch), Petersburg. Monroe City into Vincennes. 
 
 A meeting of the Commission was held in Indianapolis on Decem- 
 ber 3, 1931, at which time the one member who was absent at the 
 
Evansville meeting concurred in the resolution respecting the Lincoln 
 route formulated at that time. 
 
 This meeting was attended also by members of the State Highway 
 Commission and the Department of Conservation. 
 
 Members of the three groups had for some months past been giv- 
 ing attention to possible features which might be introduced in building 
 the contemplated road. Out of these deliberations at this time there 
 was formulated a further resolution which anticipated the character 
 the Lincoln Memorial Way should assume. 
 
 Resolved, That the Lincoln Memorial Way through Indiana should 
 become a memorial way in fact and not merely one in name; 
 
 First, by giving special attention to the memorial aspects of the 
 route. 
 
 Second, by insisting that the path should be one of dignity and 
 beauty, so landscaped with native shrubs and trees as to create an 
 atmosphere of approval. 
 
 Third, by requiring a minimum right-of-way at least 300 feet wide 
 in sparsely settled regions so that objectionable and unsightly buildings 
 may be prevented from encroaching on the traveled way. 
 
 Fourth, by re-ascertaining what occurred along the trail of histori- 
 cal significance where additional ground might be secured for proper 
 approach and development. 
 
 Fifth, by inviting the cooperation of communities through which 
 the highway passes in assisting in the beautification program. 
 
 Resolved, That the structures along the Lincoln Memorial Way 
 through Indiana should have definite and characteristic expression. 
 
 First, by using parapets of rocks or distinctive and characteris- 
 tically designed concrete instead of wood as guard rails, using a similar 
 design for the construction of culverts and bridges. 
 
 Second, by obscuring telegraph, telephone, and power lines where 
 possible. 
 
 Third, by providing camping places furnished with pure water, 
 adequate rest-room facilities, and shelter houses. 
 
 Fourth, by so planning the road construction that if traffic de- 
 manded a three-lane pavement with wide and gently sloping berm 
 might be provided. 
 
 These recommendations are approved by the members of the High- 
 way Commission, the Department of Conservation and the Lincoln 
 Memorial Way Commission. 
 
 ■4 64 Ifl- 
 
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA 
 973 7L63C2IN22L CM1 * 
 
 THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL WA^HROUGH , ND ,ANA 
 
 3 0112 031802405