Trail of Twelve Stones Trail

In 1931 the Indiana Lincoln Union began planning a memorial trail. They intended to memorialize important episodes in Lincoln's life by the placing of some memento, preferable a stone, along a certain trail where one will be led to appreciate the "stepping stones" in Lincoln's career. This trail, known as the Trail of Twelve Stones, became a unique way to review some of the major events in Abraham Lincoln's life. Small bronze tablets are located near each stone along the trail. The tablets briefly explain the events in Lincoln's life associated with each of the memorial stones. Beginning just east of the Cabin Site Memorial, twelve historic stones are arranged in chronological order at irregular intervals. There are several shaded, stone-bench rest areas for your convenience. History Highlights for Reflection Tour: Stone 1 "Abraham Lincoln was born February 12, 1809, then in Hardin, now in the more recently formed county of Larue, Kentucky." For his first seven years, Abraham, with his sister Sarah, and his parents Thomas and Nancy Hanks Lincoln lived in Kentucky. This stone was brought here from Lincoln's birthplace farm (the Sinking Spring Farm) located near Hodgenville, Kentucky. Stone 2 "He (Thomas Lincoln) removed from Kentucky to what is now Spencer County, Indiana, in my eighth year. We reached our new home about the time the State came into the Union." In December 1816, the Lincoln family moved to the 160-acre Indiana farm you are now standing on. Here, the Lincoln family lived for 14 years. Between the years 1917 and 1934 this stone monument (donated by the citizens of Spencer County) marked the location of the Lincoln cabin, 100 yards west of here. Stone 3 As a teenager in Indiana (Abraham lived here from age 7-21), young Abe worked at many different jobs including that of clerk in a localstore. One store, owned by William Jones, was located three miles west of here. This stone is from the foundation of that building. Stone 4 Abraham Lincoln's stepmother, Sarah Bush Johnston Lincoln, said that "newspapers were had in Indiana as early as 1824 and up to 1830 when we moved to Illinois. Abe was a constant reader of them." Sixteen newspapers were published in Indiana during the mid-1820s. How many of these papers reached the Lincoln family is not known. Certainly, occasional copies of the Vincennes Western Sun, the Corydon Gazetter, or the New Harmony Gazetter passed through Lincoln's hands. Before the Lincoln family's departure from Indiana to Illinois in March of 1830, the family "passed through Vincennes, Indiana, where they remained for a day." There Abraham visited the Elihu Stout Print Shop and viewed a printingpress for the first time. This stone is one of the foundation stones from the Vincennes Western Sun newspaper building. Stone 5 "Abraham stopped indefinitely and for the first time, as it were, by himself, at New-Salem." - A. Lincoln From 1831 to 1837, Lincoln resided at New Salem, Illinois, supporting himself as a clerk, mill hand, soldier, storekeeper, postmaster, and surveyor. In 1832, Lincoln bought a half-interest in a store with William F. Berry. "They opened as merchants; of course they did nothing but get deeper and deeper in debt." Lincoln's career in "high finance" did not last long. Berry died, leaving Lincoln solely responsible for the store's debts. By October 1833 "the store winked out." This stone is one of the foundation stones from the Lincoln-Berry store. Stone 6 By the 1840s Abraham Lincoln was an up-and-coming young lawyer in the Illinois capital of Springfield. There, Lincoln met a charming young Kentucky woman, Mary Ann Todd. "In November 1842 he married Mary, daughter of Robert S. Todd, of Lexington, Kentucky. They have three children, all sons -- one born in 1843 [Robert], one in 1850 [William], and one in 1853 [Thomas]. They lost one, who was born in 1846 [Edward died in 1850]." - A. Lincoln These bricks are from the spacious, girlhood home of Mary Todd which was in Lexington, Kent...