973.7L63 New Salem Village: C3P77n Photographic Views and 1945 Brief Historical Sketch of New Salem State Park LINCOLN ROOM UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY MEMORIAL the Class of 1901 founded by HARLAN HOYT HORNER and HENRIETTA CALHOUN HORNER Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign http://archive.org/details/newsalemvillagepOOpond e w Salem Village ^^V*^ Photographic Views and Brief Historical Sketch of New Salem State Park Petersburg, Illinois PRICE 25c LE.GE.ND FtATUWE <££> HENRY ONSTOT'S CABIN ONSTOT'S COOPER SHOP TRENT BROS CABIN MILLER- KELJO CABIN MILLERS BLACKSMITH SHOP ROBERT JOHNJON'J CABIN ISAAC COLLiHtn J CABIN MARTIN WADDELLS CABIN ISAAC BURNERS CABIN DR. FRANCIS REGNIERS CABIN SAMUEL HILL'S CABIN HILL- MC NAMAR STORE SECOND BERRY -LINCOLN STORE SITE or FIRST BERRY-LINCOLN STORE PETER LUKIN'S CABIN DR. JOHN ALLENS CABIN RUTLEDCE TAVERN ROW HERN DEN'S CABIN DENTON OFTUTTS STORE CLARY'S GROCERY MILL S'TE PARK DRIVES AND MICHW/AYS PRIVATE SERVICL DRIVES WALKS AND FOOT TRAILS ST&IAM WOODED AdtA — 1 - \-\Tn l C V " IfS—^ 1 1 1 j rvFfxf, . J. _ p-Ak 1 ^™f L. — r .„L 1 'J . -VL. f i^r "a *^V "~7 — ?| i / 1 i i ^>L 5T L l |i. r^j Js?«ikfifiii.o / j^ff\ O .V | i 1 H v- V"* 1 \ j c I s 1 ,N A/ ir i r _ DEDICATION To the Division of Parks and Memor- ials, National Park Service and Old Salem Lincoln League of Petersburg, which under the direction of the De- partment of Public Works and Build- ings of the State of Illinois, has brought about the recreation of the village of New Salem, we dedicate this booklet. Copyright 1938 by Ira E. Owen Petersburg, Illinois Sixth Edition 1945 THE PETERSBURG OBSERVER CO. E W A LBM Village Photographic Views and Brief Historical Sketch of New Salem State Park Near Petersburg, Illinois • *********** NEW SALEM VILLAGE THE WAGON WHEEL INN The Wagon Wheel Inn, located at the entrance to New Salem State Park, was erected in 1936 by the State of Illinois, for the convenience of the many visitors who come each year to pay homage to the immortal Abraham Lin- coln. As the visitor approaches the Wagon Whcc 1 . he is impressed by the spa- cious log structure, similar to the buildings of Lincoln's New Salem. The visitor is greeted by the hostess, fittingly attired, and is graciously ushered to his choice table. Once inside, one feels he has turned back the pages of history to the early days of the nineteenth century, for here is true hospitality, coupled with a calm and quiet, found only at the Wagon Wheel of Lincoln's New Salem. While the Wagon Wheel is rustic and rugged in character, the facilities for the preparation and serving of food are of the most modern. There are four separate dining rooms, with a total seating capacity of 160 which are ideal for private parties, luncheons or banquets. The modern kitchens and pantries make it possible to render fast, efficient and quiet service. Linens of indigo blue and turkey red and china of an early English pat- tern, together with lanterns hanging from ox bows and wagon wheels, take the guest back to that New Salem of a century ago. Also adding to the at- mosphere are huge fireplaces in every room, their mantles decked with an- tiques of the period. The services to be had at the Wagon Wheel are many — An extensive a la carte menu, special luncheons from 50c to 85c, dinner service from 85c to $1.25 may be had at any time. Special prices may be made for banquet, luncheon or party groups and suggested menus will be mailed on request. A complete line of souvenirs, cards, booklets and books on the life of Abraham Lincoln will also be found here. The Wagon Wheel visitor will find the hostess and all attendants weli informed and happy to assist in making your visit to "Lincoln's New Salem" a cherished memory. Four C3?1 "NEW SALEM VILLAGE" By Fern Nance Pond, Petersburg, Illinois It is important to remember that the Abraham Lincoln of the six New Salem years came as a youth barely 22 years of age, practically unschooled, or as he described himself, "a poor friendless youth working on a flat boat at ten dol- lars a month". But it is also important to know how Abraham Lincoln lived from the time he became a citizen of the village of New Salem in 1831, until six years later when he left for Springfield to become a practicing attorney. Deep impressions were made upon the mind and char- acter of the young man by his experiences, his environment and his New Salem neighbors during those formative years. The restored log cabin village, located in New Salem State Park near Petersburg, Illinois, presents in faithful detail this environment. Was New Salem a providential place designed by a "di- vinity that shapes our ends" to attract a wandering young rail splitter to settle there in order that he might find him- self? By 1835 the village reached its peak, containing some twenty-five or thirty cabins and from one hundred fifty to two hundred people. By the early 1840's only a few cabins remained and the populace had departed; many of the set- tlers moving two miles north to Petersburg which became the county seat of the newly formed County of Menard in 1839. The scene which greeted young Lincoln's eye upon his arrival in the village in 1831, included some ten or a dozen buildings. Two millwrights, Rev. John Camron and his uncle James Rutledge, decided to construct a mill on the Sanga- mon River at a point nearer the more densely populated set- tlements. In 1828, Camron entered the eighty acres on which the village stands; and the next year the partners had Reuben Harrison make a survey of the site nearest the river, platting town lots and blocks which they planned to sell to newcomers. They reasoned that the mill would draw people for trade as they brought their grain to the grist mill and had their lumber sawed at the same place. James Rutledge erected a capacious structure of one story and a half which he occupied as a residence and oper- ated as a tavern until 1833. The Rutledge residence was the scene of the stage coach arrivals, being adjacent to the Springfield road and also to the road leading to Beardstown. Samuel Hill of New Jersey and John "McNeil" of New York, (whose real name was McNamar) arrived in 1829 and built a store where they sold general merchandise and Five *********** NEW SALEM VILLAGE enjoyed an unusual prosperity. The government recogniz- ed the settlement the same year and established a post of- fice on Christmas Day, giving it the official name of "New Salem" and Samuel Hill was appointed the first postmaster. John McNamar sold his interest in the store partner- ship about 1832, and soon after went to the State of New York for a visit with his people. He was a suitor for the hand of Ann Rutledge, but he did not return to the New Salem community until after Ann's death in August, 1835. It may be important at this point to state that the pur- pose of his sketch is to present authentic facts, and not to deal with such incidents as depend largely upon legend or tradition. Dr. John Allen, a graduate of Dartmouth College, came in 1830 and later constructed a three room log cabin across the street from the Hill-McNamar store, where he minister- ed to the afflicted, organized the Washingtonian Temper- ance Society and the first Sabbath School in the village. In 1830, Henry Onstot established his residence and cooper shop, probably the first industry aside from the mill. The settlers used his tubs, buckets and barrels for many purposes, and the merchants also used his barrels and hogsheads for shipping their meats and other produce down the river to market. About the same time William Clary started a "grocery" store on the bluff overlooking the river and specialized in retailing liquor to the festively inclined gentlemen. Philemon Morris operated a tannery, Joshua Miller, the blacksmith, gave the village a much needed industry, and George Warburton, who later founded Petersburg in part- nership with Peter Lukins, operated a store. At the request of a peculiar character , Denton Offut, young Lincoln with his cousin Dennis Hanks, and his step- brother John D. Johnston, started a voyage down the San- gamon River to New Orleans and their flatboat stranded on the Rutledge-Camron mill dam near New Salem. The vil- lagers aided the party in releasing the boat, and thus Lin- coln became acqainted with his future neighbors. Dream- ers may conjecture what might have happened had the party proceeded down the river without interruption. Offut himself, however, determined to start a store at New Salem, bought a stock of goods at St. Louis, and on July 8th, 1831, secured a license from the Sangamon Coun- ty Commissioners to sell merchandise at New Salem. He located on the bluff near the Clary Store and employed Abraham Lincoln as a clerk in August of that year, while Offut himself spent most of his time in other places. The business failed to thrive and was closed after several months. Six NEW SALEM VILLAGE*********** The spring of 1832 found Lincoln without regular em- ployment, but he occupied himself at odd jobs. He announc- ed his candidacy for the legislature, he collected accounts due Offut, and when the Black Hawk War started in April he helped organize a company to fight the Indians and was elected its captain. Returning from a rather drab military experience two weeks before election, he resumed his cam- paign at once, but was defeated in spite of the fact that his New Salem friends cast 227 votes out of 300 for him. Later through the medium of William G. Greene, he joined with William F. Berry in buying the Reuben Radford stock of goods, thus becoming a merchant in his own right, but not a successful one. With the firm debts unpaid, he sold his interest in the store to Berry. In May of 1833, he was appointed postmaster with an income that was a mere pittance. He clerked in Samuel Hill's store. About the same time he was appointed deputy county surveyer through which he added to his livelihood. The postoffice was discontinued in 1836, but Lincoln con- tinued to survey roads and towns until his admission to the bar and his departure for Springfield in 1837. In 1834 at the age of 25, Lincoln's horizon was wid- ened by his election to the General Assembly of the State of Illinois, an event that initiated his ultimate separation from New Salem. Lincoln found at New Salem an atmosphere which en- couraged him to make the most of books and learning. He read good books, he studied law and adopted his sound phil- osophies. He learned men. He achieved the distinction expressed in the sobriquet, "Honest Abe". He lived those six years in a manner that earned for him the respect of his pioneer neighbors who knew his peculiarities and limi- tations and yet admired him. With the competition of trade at Petersburg, it was inevitable that New Salem would disappear. The site of the village was purchased and held by Jacob Bale and oth- ers of his family; and for more than sixty years was used for agricultural purposes. In the 1880's, a movement was initiated for the loca- tion of a Soldiers' Home at the site of New Salem but the project failed because of insufficient support. New Salem became a typical deserted village, aban- doned by its residents, but not by the patriots who saw in its restoration the possibility of founding a unique shrine. About the turn of the century the Old Salem Chautau- qua was located across the river from the village. The leaders of the Association induced the Honorable William Randolph Hearst, the publisher, to speak at their assembly in the summer of 1906. On a rainy day they guided him to Seven *********** NEW SALEM VILLAGE the one-time home of the Great Emancipator and convinced him of the value of reserving the site for the public. As a result of his survey Mr. Hearst himself purchased the sixty acres comprising the original town site for a consideration of $11,000.00, and later conveyed the land to the Old Salem Chautauqua Association. Further progress was made toward the restoration in 1917, when public spirited men of Petersburg organized the Old Salem Lincoln League for the purpose of rebuilding the village and stimulating interest in the pioneer town. In 1918 replicas of five or six cabins were erected on their original sites and gained the attention of the world. The financing of the restoration proving too great for private enterprise, in 1919 the lands were conveyed to the State of Illinois, under the consideration that the state would con- tinue the work of the restoration. After many years of research and investigation of every known source, surveys were made; and excavations proved the authenticity of cabin sites. Thirteen cabins were completed and furnished by the fall of 1933 and form- ally dedicated to the public. In 1937 three additional cabins were constructed with dedication ceremonies centering around the Rutledge Tav- ern. After a lapse of 104 years, on Feb. 12, 1940, a United States Post office, named Lincoln's New Salem, was auth- orized and dedicated by Postmaster General James A. Far- ley. The Joshua Miller blacksmith shop, the Herndon Broth- ers residence and store have been completed and the Rut- ledge-Camron mill has been almost Completed, and will be in operation after the war. The building of stables, the planting of gardens and other improvements are under way, and with some three or four structures yet to be erected, the restoration is nearing completion. With additional land purchases at various times by the State of Illinois, the park area now includes about 290 acres. The Old Salem Lincoln League of Petersburg was com- missioned by the State of Illinois to provide the furnish- ings for the restored cabins. The collection comprises around 6000 pioneer articles, and ranks among the large collections of its kind. Powerful impressions were made upon the soul of young Abraham Lincoln in this village, and it is most fit- ting that New Salem restored in a material way should stand as a memorial to the development of the strong per- sonality which eventually made him not only a national but a world figure. Eight NEW SALEM VILLAGE*********** Nine *********** NEW SALEM VILLAGE [ BERRY-LINCOLN STORE Here Abraham Lincoln lived and "kept store", the lean-to at the rear serv- ing- as his sleeping room. The building was erected in 1830 by George War- burton and was the only sheathed structure in the village. William F. Berry and Abraham Lincoln moved their store into this building in January, 1833, and during the summer of the same year, Lincoln sold his interest to his partner, who later sold the store to Trent Brothers; later Berry again pur- chased the store and operated it until his death in 1835. DG^^O BERRY-LINCOLN STORE- INTERIOR On the opposite page appears a view of the interior of the Berry-Lincoln store as it appears to-day. Note the long counter, the dishes displayed back of the counter, and the barrel in the background. All these items are authen- ticated as of the period of Lincoln's New Salem residence. Ten NEW SALEM VILLAGE*********** EI Sixteen UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA 973 7L63C3P77N1945 C001 NEW SALEM VILLAGE 6TH ED PETERSBURG, 3 0112 031804393