Tom Lincoln
Thomas was born in Virginia, and his family soon brought him west to Kentucky. Indians
killed his father, named Abraham Lincoln, while he was clearing farmland, leaving young
Thomas and his family fatherless. He moved to Hardin County, Kentucky in 1802, and one
year later, purchased his first farm. Thomas married Nancy Hanks on June 12, 1806. They
had three children: Sarah (February 10, 1807), Abraham Lincoln
(February 12, 1809), and Thomas (1812) who died in infancy.
Historical documents show that Thomas was a responsible citizen and community leader,
but he repeatedly fell victim to Kentucky's chaotic land laws and was constantly
frustrated by the presence of slavery. In 1816, Thomas and his family crossed the Ohio
River and purchased a farm directly from the Federal Government in what is today Spencer
County, Indiana.
Two years later his wife died due to milk sickness, and Thomas married a widow, Sarah
Bush Johnston.
Although Lincoln developed a close relationship with his stepmother, his relationship
with his father was strained. In 1830, he moved with his father for the last time when
they traveled to Illinois. A year later, he set out on his own. His father continued
farming in Coles County, Illinois until his death in 1851. He was buried in the Shiloh
Cemetery, near his Illinois farm.
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