This story is somewhat timely in that we are currently celebrating the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. Although Illinois likes to claim sole ownership of any and all legacy related to Lincoln, they ignore the fact that President Lincoln spent nearly all his adolescent life growing up in Indiana.

Daviess County played an important part in the Lincoln story as early settlers devoted a tremendous amount of time in 1930 and 1931 attempting to prove the Lincoln Family actually traveled through Daviess County 100 years previously.

The year was 1830 and Thomas Lincoln and his family had decided to move to Illinois. Abraham was 21 at the time and drove one of the teams of oxen loaded with all their belongings. This story is of importance to me personally because one of the characters of the story was my great-grandfather Overton Cosby.

The story presented to the commission for the establishment of the “Lincoln Highway” was just as it had been passed down within our family from past generations.

I will attempt to expound upon some of the folklore and some additional facts brought to light by the Daviess County officials by substantiating the affidavits of neighboring families whose ancestors were actually participants. With such a thorough and complete argument in favor of the Daviess County route, one can hardly imagine what evidence could have been presented by other local communities to sway the Commission in their favor. I suspect, however, politics in 1930 was quite similar to politics in 2009 and played a part in the decision on the route selected. At any rate the sad story is that Daviess County did not win the day in spite of overwhelming evidence presented.

Without question, a book could be written about the route actually traveled by the family of Abraham Lincoln on their migration from Abe’s boyhood home in Gentryville, Ind., to Springfield, Ill. The 100th year was also significant for in 1930 the Daviess County Lincoln Highway Association was formed and chaired by Ezra Mattingly, a highly respected local attorney. Since it was common knowledge in the southern part of Daviess County, most of the Veale and Harrison Township residents found it unbelievable that other communities would be contesting the Daviess County route through Indiana.

As early as 1910, in Illinois, Dr. C.M. Thompson started compiling data in coordination with the “Lincoln Way.” There was little contention as to the Illinois routes, but the way through Indiana was a different story. Lincoln’s law partner, William Herndon, and a noted historian by the name of Jesse Weik, had written a biography on Lincoln but were not privy to consider some key evidence in possession of Mrs. Sara Jane Dowling, the daughter of Dennis Hanks, who actually made the trip with the Lincoln family 1830. She referred to the fact that the Lincolns were unhappy in Illinois and were in the process of returning to Indiana. This fact became very important for it was also mentioned in an affidavit by a Daviess County resident, Arsula Itskin.

Mrs. Dowling’s statement verifies the fact that Mrs. Itskin therefore at one time had in her possession a letter signed by A. Lincoln to Mrs. Itskin’s grandfather, Elliott Chappell, which further verifies the fact that Mr. Chappell and Abe became friends and pen pals after meeting at the Allen farm in Harrison Township, Daviess County. This letter, however, was burned in a house fire in 1916 at the Chappell home.

Another compelling argument which directly refers to the Daviess County route was the testimony of Civil War veteran Col. Agustus Chappman of Charleston, Ill., who was married to Harriet, the older daughter of Dennis Hanks. Col. Chappman had been interviewed in 1896 by Mr. Jesse Weik. In this document, Mr. Chappman stated that Dennis Hanks, his father-in-law, had been living with him and Harriet and Lincoln’s stepmother, Sarah Bush Lincoln.

On that particular day, he and Mr. Lincoln rode to the cemetery together to visit the gravesite of Thomas Lincoln, Abe’s father. Chappman also states, “Abe stayed the previous night at our home since his stepmother was living with them at that time.” We talked about the 1830 trip, Mr. Lincoln agreed substantially with Hanks as to the route they took, saying that they had gone from Gentryville to Jasper in Dubois County; thence to Washington, Daviess County; thence to Vincennes where they crossed the Wabash into Illinois.

The value of Col.Chappman’s statements were held in high regard due to Col. Chappman being respected as a Union officer for his honesty and integrity and also the fact that the route was verified by both Dennis Hanks and Abe Lincoln himself.

These testimonials from Mr. Chappell and Col. Chappman, along with the numerous affidavits made an extremely convincing presentation for the route through Dubois and Daviess counties.