073.71,63 C3P77n ^ond, Fern Nance New Salem Village LINCOLN ROOM UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY MEMORIAL the Class of 1901 founded by HARLAN HOYT HORNER and HENRIETTA CALHOUN HORNER NEW SALEM VILLAGE FROM AN ORIGINAL SKETCH BY XAVIER MEYER Photographic Views and Brief Historical Sketch of New Salem State Park Petersburg, Illinois Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign http://archive.org/details/newsalemvillagep01pond Copyright 1938 by Ira E. Owen Petersburg, Illinois Printed by The Petersburg Observer Co. NEW SALEM VILLAGE Photographic Views and Brief Historical Sketch of New Salem State Park Petersburg, Illinois ::•::•: :j: :•::•: :i: * * * * # STREET SCENE -NEW SALEM This view of the principal street of the village of New Salem, shows the residence of Samuel Hill, the village's wealthiest man, in the left foreground; next is the Hill-McNamar Store, and at the end of the street, the Berry- Lincoln Store. The right foreground shows a portion of Peter Lukins' cabin. C+3C+3 (TfOC^i) DEDICATION To the many thousands who annually make the pilgrimage to New Salem Statz Park to pay tribute to Abraham Lincoln, we respect- fully dedicate this booklet. Four Why a State Park at New Salem? 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 New Salem 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 village of New Salem, 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 Cameron 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, Cameron 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. Five * * # * * * :!: : :*** NEW SALEM VILLAGE 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 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 this 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 min- istered to the afflicted, organized the first Sunday School and the New Salem Washingtonian Temperance Society. In 1830, Henry Onstott established his residence and cooper shop in the village, probably the first industry aside from the mill. The settlers used his tubs, buckets and bar- rels 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 OrTut, young Lincoln with his uncle 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-Cameron mill dam near New Salem. The vil- lagers aided the party in releasing the boat, and thus Lin- coln became acquainted 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 Six NEW SALEM VILLAGE ************ 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 about a year, later. The year 1832 found Lincoln without employment. He occupied himself with collecting accounts due Offut, and with other odd jobs, until April, when the Black Hawk war started. He helped organize a company to fight the In- dians and was elected its captain. Returning that summer from a rather drab military experience, he became a candidate for the legislature and was defeated, but his New Salem friends cast 277 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 appoined 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 tvpical deserted village, aban- doned by its residents, but not by the patriots who saw in its restoration the possibility of founding a most unique shrine. About the turn of the century the Old Salem Chautau- Seven ************ NEW SALEM VILLAGE 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 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 lands 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 restored Rut- ledge Tavern. The reconstruction of the Rutledge-Cameron mill, the Joshua Miller blacksmith shop, the Samuel Hill carding mill, the building of stables, the reproduction of gardens and other improvements are under way, and steadily unit by unit the reconstruction will continue until the village is completely restored. With additional land purchases at various times by the State of Illinois, the park area now includes about 225 acres. The Old Salem Lincoln League of Petersburg was com- missioned by the State of Illionis to provide the furnish- ings for the restored cabins. The collection comprises around 5000 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 thait 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 — unexcelled in fineness of character. Eight NEW SALEM VILLAGE ************ ************ 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. (TfO (T^fO CTfO G^fO BERRY-LINCOLN STORE - INTERIOR On the opposite page appears a view of the interior of the Berpry-LinoolrS 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 ************ Elevzn ************ NEW SALEM VILLAGE ■;■*-';■ .****,*•.. .. HILL-McNAMAR STORE The Hill-McNamar Store is in the center, in the above photograph. At the right is the Berry-Lincoln Store, and at the left, back of the Hill-McNamar Store, the Hill stable and corn crib. ISAAC GULIHUR RESIDENCE TOP OF OPPOSITE PAGE— This cabin was erected in 1937, being dedicated on June 17 of that year. This view shows the "cold cellar" and the ash hop- per. The photograph shows the cabin from the north and west. GENERAL VIEW LOOKING EAST BOTTOM OF OPPOSITE PAGE— In the left foreground, the Onstott house and cooper shop; right, the Trent residence. The center of the village may be seen in the background. The Onstott building was removed from New Salem to Petersburg when the village was abandoned, and a few years ago was returned to its original place in the village, where it still stands. Twelve NEW SALEM VILLAGE ************ Thi ************ NEW SALEM VILLAGE HENRY ONSTOTT'S RESIDENCE Henry Onstott built this two-room house' in 1835. He operated the cooper shop that appears in another photograph in this book, and for two years, 1833 to 1835, operated the village tavern. The old cooper shop has been re- built, from the original logs, on the original site, and equipped with tools necessary to the making of barrels. The above view is of the combined liv- ing room, dining room and kitchen, looking toward the bedroom door. TRENT EROS. RESIDENCE TOP OF OPPOSITE PAGE — Trent Brothers' residence. The builders of this house purchased the Berry-Lincoln Store, after Lincoln had disposed of his interest to his partner. This house has a basement, as shown by the outside basement door. PETER LUKINS RESIDENCE BOTTOM OF OPPOSITE PAGE — Interior view of the Peter Lukins home. Peter Lukins. the village shoemaker, erected this house in 1831, and left New Salem the following year. Lukins is noted chiefly for the fact that, a few years later, he and George Warburton purchased the site of the town of Petersburg, two mile's north of New Salem, and hired Abraham Lincoln to plat the town site. The city of Petersburg was named in Lukins' honor. Fourtten NEW SALEM VILLAGE ************ Fifteen SAMUEL HILL'S RESIDENCE Samuel Hill was New Salem's wealthiest citizen. He operated the village's largest store, and erected the only two-story house in the frontier town. Shown above is the large room used as parlor, dining room and kitchen. The door leading to a second room may be seen at the rear. Upstairs was otnei large bedroom, at the front, with a stair closet and utility room at the rear. Samuel Hill moved from New Salem to Petersburg when the village was abandoned, and was prominent in business affairs of the newer town. C^J)C^DC^~SO^D Sixteen I UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA 973.7L63C3P77N C001 NEW SALEM VILLAGE ILLINOIS 3 0112 031804369