To the INDIANA LINCOLN TRAIL COMMISSION and the WARRICK COUNTY LINCOLN TRAIL ASSOCIATION
The following is a statement relative to ABRAHAM LINCOLN and his family during their residence in Indiana and thier subsequent trip from their home in Lincoln City Indiana to their new home in Illinois. These are the facts as told to me by MR JOHN ROMINE about the year 1882-1883,when my father JOHN HAGAN was a tenant on the ROMINE farm which is located on the southern boundary of the LINCOLN farm alsodjoining Old Pigeon Church in which the Lincoln family worshipped. MR ROMINE used to talk to our family telling about employing LINCOLN to work on the farm and about ABE being lazy and many times finding him sitting on the plow reading a book instead of working as he was paid to do.
Also related the story of the Lincoln family leaving their home in Indiana and about their first days trip through what is now the town of Gentryville to what was then the town of Jonesboro three quarters miles west including the purchase of goods from JONES store with ABE sold his ox cart on his way to Illinois. He stated that leaving Jonesboro the family proceeded west through that portion of Spencer County crossing Pigeon Creek at the ford about one half mile west of Jonesboro into Warrick County in which they made their way west to Pokeberry Creek about two miles where it was again necessary to ford that stream about building a crossing of birch poles on which to allow the oxen to pass over.
From that point they proceeded west to Loafers Station which was about six miles west of Jonesboro from which point they proceeded west about one mile and camped for the first night out, He told about helping the LINCOLNS when their ox carts were mired in the mud and the hardships they encountered en-route . The second day out they proceeded toward Folsomville through Warrick County into Boonville thence to Lynnville and on to Vincennes where they crossed the Wabash River into Illinois .This statement told to me repeatedly and my parents JOHN HAGEN by MR ROMINE during our five years of residence on the ROMINE farm and many times used to tell us of his friendship with the LINCOLNS as well as the first two days leaving Lincoln City en-route to Illinois
CORDIE HAGAN THOMPSONState of Indiana
Vanderburgh County
This foregoing statement is subscribed and sworn to before me this
24th day of July 1932
KATHERINE HARGRAVE, Notary Public