The Cannelton Telephone August 20, 1937
(Spelling as printed)
Perry county plays an important part in the building of a Lincoln Memorial Highway in three states. Documentary evidence lends credence to the story that the Lincolns crossed the river at Tobinsport in 1816 from Kentucky and, followed a newly made road from the Beulah Lamb ferry at Tobinsport to Troy, then the county seat.
They followed the river and camped at Rock Island where nine years later on May 9, 1825 Lafayette was Shipwrecked during a storm and held an informal reception for the people of Perry County, according to the history of Perry County written by Thomas James de la Hunt.
There are two documents to be found in the court house today which verify the story. One is an instrument attached to a deed which had been recorded in 1816 and the other is a record of the county commissioners in 1815.
At the age of 71, in 1866 Jacob Weatherholt Jr., of Tobin’s Bottoms wrote and attached to a deed recorded in 1816 an instrument and although yellow with age it is still legible.
Quoted verbatim it follows: Dated August 20, 1866, Jacob Weatherholt, at this writing 71 years old from 1866 back fifty years to 1816, the year Indiana became a state, Abraham Lincoln to whom I am referring to this day and age was one of the greatest landmarks of America. My father, Jacob Weatherholt Sr., ferried Thomas Lincoln, wife Nancy, daughter Sarah and son Abraham age eight years, from the hills of Kentucky to Indiana consisting of a yoke of oxen, a cow, a cart and some camping outfit by canoe and raft of logs, from what is now Clover Creek, KY. to Indiana and landed on land I now own and hold deed for reference and next day made his way down the Indiana banks of the Ohio by Indian trails and paths and camped the second night at what is known as Rock Island where Lafayette was reeked in 1825 and then made his way to this new Indiana home where he had taken up at Vincennes.
In Fall of 1818 Thomas Lincoln wife died from the worlds greatest dread at that time, milk Sickness and for funeral services no preacher could be had as preachers was few, a letter was sent back to the old Kentucky home for a preacher and to the best of my recall his name was John Atwood. In Spring of 1819 Thomas Lincoln returned to his old Kentucky home by same trail and brought back his second wife Sarah Bush whom had married a man by name of Johnson. In about 1821 Aberham Lincoln made a flat boat and try south and came back a Slave Holder Hater and made the remark, if I only had a chance by the eternal Gods I will free the Negroes. In about 1830 Thomas Lincoln sold his Indiana home and moved to Illinois and then a few years I have no recall but in 1844 Aberham Lincoln returned back to Indiana making speeches for Henry Clay candidate for president. In about 1851 Thomas Lincoln died.
“In 1860 Aberham Lincoln was elected President of the United States and steered the wheel of the mighty War of the Sixty’s between the North and South and lived to see the day to make his word good, by the Eternal Gods did free the Negroes. In 1864 was reelected president. In l865 as assassinated by William Booth this being in 1866 Just fifty years since 1816. Since I first new Aberham Lincoln to whom I am I referring to, I Jacob Weatherholt, Jr., writing a few lines and attaching on Indiana Deed Record A Page 9×10 also 1 on deed I now hold for reference. Signed Jacob Weatherholt Jr., W. P. Drumb, recorder, Aug. 20, 1866.
The forgoing instrument was attached to the dead recording the transaction of Jacob Weatherholt to Beulah Lamb which deed was recorded May 29, 1816.
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The other document is a petition of citizens of Perry county praying for a road between the county seat then Troy to the Beulah Lamb ferry at Tobinsport, in 1815. The viewers were appointed and reported favorably on November 13, 1815 and on November 14, 1915; Smith Winchel was appointed Supervisor of the road from Beulah Lamb’s ferry and intersecting the road leading from Troy to Conner’s ferry and that the following hands be allotted him for opening said road all living within the bounds, signed Solomon Lamb.
“To the Hon. the Judge of the Perry County Circuit Court;” We whose names are under written being inhabitants of Perry county and often having business and some time compelled to go to the Court House as jurors and strangers frequently wanting to go there on business will labor under great disadvantage having to travel through the roads frequently giting lost and strangers missing the way. We pray your warship to grant us anorder of court for a road from Beulah Lamb ferry to Troy Town the nighest and the best way and humble petitioners in duty bound will ever pray-N. B. there is a road from Hardinsburg, (Ky.) to Mrs. Lamb’s ferry. Sngned by Charles Polke, Israel Lamb, Thomas Polke, William Weatherholt, David Ryan, Thormas Drinkwater, Joseph Drinkwater, John Claycomb, Smith Winchel.”
The following story was related by Logan C Murray, a former citizen of Cloverport, Ky. to Edward Gregory also of Cloverport and a possessor of much, Lincolnana. Murray’s father, Col. David R. Murray, told him that when Lincoln’s parents moved in 1816 from Hodgensville, Ky., to Indiana they passed through Hardinsburg, Ky., and the Murray home; that Thomas Lincoln was driving a yoke of oxen with a cart and a cow-that because of the immense size of the oxen, a crowd of people gathered to look at the strangers and asked them where they were going. The party consisted of Thomas Lincoln, Mrs. – Lincoln, a daughter, Sarah and son, Abraham who appeared about eight years of age. He said that the cow appeared to be about dry.
Murray’s old Negro slave, Aunt Minerva, seeing the poor condition of the children, ran into the house and brought out some home-made bread, butter and milk and fed the children.
Passing on this road which had been built in 1807, they came to Cloverport. Here with the assistance of several people a raft was built of logs and the cart placed on it; the river was low and a canoe with Jacob Weatherholt paddling and Thomas Lincoln pushing crossed the Ohio River at Tobinsport, Ind. It was necessary to make two trips and on the second trip the cow and the oxen were made to swim the river.
This same story was told by Mrs. Mildred Pate, a daughter of Jacob Weatherholt who at the age of 97 years died several years ago.