SANTA CLAUS
Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial’s recreated homestead is open from about mid-April to the end of September, but a couple times of year they host a special evening buy candlelight.
“We want to give you an idea of what it would have been like back in the 1820’s when Abraham Lincoln and his family lived in Indiana,” stated Ranger Paula Alexander.
On the property is Lincoln’s actual family cabin that they lived in. It is one of the stops that can be made during the candlelight experience. This allows guests to gain an understanding of what an evening on the farm as a young Abe might have been like 200 years ago as a pioneer. The small cabin would have housed eight people.
Mark Gentry, a volunteer since 2004, helped organize and create the event. He wasn’t certain about how many years they had been doing it, but he does remember that the first year they had snow.
The idea was to educate people on how pioneers would have worked and lived by candlelight during the months that it became dark earlier. There would be candles made from beef tallow, rush lamps and Betty lamps. Gentry stated that Mrs. Lincoln hollowed out a turnip with fat and a piece of cloth to light a fire.
“There were different ways of getting light and cooking a meal. We take these things for granted,” said Gentry.
Pots would have been black on the inside. It was hard to reflect the light down in the pot and to tell if there was enough water. They also needed extra light for spinning and cleaning guns. They also used the candlelight to read their nightly scripture from the Bible. These were activities that would have been done in the colder seasons.
Gentry stated that this bit of history is important to him because he is descendent of James Gentry. James was the man that had hired Lincoln as a store clerk and took him to his first slave auction. This event made a huge impression on young Lincoln.
The candlelight tour of the farm is free to the public. There are demonstrations inside of the cabin, in the cabin yard and at the carpenter shop. There is a glowing campfire in the yard while volunteers reenact pioneer days. The event will be held again on Friday, Dec. 8 from 5 p.m. to 7p.m. CST.
