Think Lincoln Blog

Watch us on LPB!

2008-10-13T15:12:00.000-07:00

We so enjoyed having Charlie Whinham of Louisiana Public Broadcasting (WLPB -TV) join us on our trip from St. Francisville to Baton Rouge, La. He put together a great story about our recreation of Abraham Lincoln's 1828 flatboat journey for the Louisiana - The State We're In program he hosts. It aired Friday, Oct. 10, on eight LPB affiliates across the state. The program is Louisiana’s only statewide news magazine and one of the longest-running television programs in the nation. We feel so honored to have been featured! Click here to watch the video clip from LPB!

Lincoln's Journey Ends in New Orleans

2008-10-05T07:41:00.000-07:00

After 26 days on the river, 8 states and 23 towns, Lincoln's Journey of Remembrance ended Saturday in New Orleans.

Our crew huddled up on shore to re-cap our journey just after landing and all agreed the venture was a tremendous success.

We shared the story of Lincoln's youth in Spencer County, Indiana, with thousands of people along our trip route. Many came to see our replica flatboat in person, while others simply learned about our journey by reading their local newspaper or watching the evening news.

One of our most rewarding experiences alogn the way was working with the many school groups who came to visit the flatboat. It was a priveledge to share with them the inspiring story of Abraham Lincoln. I hope they learned that if they too work hard, in this country, they can accomplish amazing things!

The end of the jourey is bittersweet for most of our crew. Though the trip has been physically demanding and mentally exausting and we welcome a return to the routine of our normal daily lives, it is sad to see the project we've worked so hard on for so long come to an end.

But we know, Lincoln's Legacy will endure forever and we are satisfied with the knowledge that we in some small part helped to preserve it.

Baton Rouge Shows Us the Definition of Southern Hospitality!

2008-10-04T07:11:00.000-07:00

We were amazed at the efforts of the community of Baton Rouge as they welcomed Lincoln's Journey of Remembrance. We docked Wednesday afternoon at the USS Kidd & Veterans Memorial, a World War II era battleship. On Thursday morning we had an amazing story in The Advocate, by our friends Rick Harris and Ed Cullen, who rode our flatboat from Natchez, MS, to St. Francisville, LA earlier in the week.

Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden presented us with a proclaimation making the day, Lincoln's Journey of Remembrance Day in Baton Rouge that afternoon. Later in the evening we enjoyed a reception hosted by the Foundation for Historical Louisiana at The Old Governor's Mansion.

A Nice Time in Natchez, MS

2008-09-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

Our trip to Natchez proved one of our most adventurous as some of our crew took a tour of the St. Christine Swamp, where they shot aligators......shot them with cameras that is!

In Natchez we were hosted by the Natchez National Historical Park, who invited us to make a presentation on our trip at the Visitor's Center Auditorium. Tim Van Cleave, park guide, conducted a considerable amount of research into Lincoln's connections to Natchez, including research on his flatboat attack believed to have occured in Natchez.

Our boat was docked at the foot of Roth Hill Road, where a crowd of about 200 people came to visit us.

While in Natchez we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Mammy's Cupboard. A resturant built inside a 28-foot tall woman's skirt! Everything from the bread to the pie was made from scratch.

Our Visit to Historic Vicksburg

2008-09-29T12:02:00.000-07:00

The Lincoln's Journey crew visited Vicksburg, MS, on Sept. 28. The Vicksburg Convention & Visitors Bureau helped us plan a great day at their riverfront. They provided a five piece band and free bottles of Coca-Cola for everyone who came. We didn't know before this trip that Coke was first bottled in Vicksburg! Some of our crew members visited Vicksburg's Coca-Cola Museum and learned more about Civil War History at the Vicksburg National Military Park. Like many of the communities we visited, we wished he had more time to stay and exlpore all their local historic sites.

Lake Providence, LA Welcomes Lincoln's Journey

2008-09-29T08:52:00.001-07:00

Our crew truly enjoyed the beautiful town of Lake Providence. The scenery was terrific!

Our visit to Helena, Ark.

2008-09-25T14:04:00.000-07:00

Lincoln's Journey visited Helena, Ark., on Sept. 24. Our crew enjoyed a visit to the Delta Culture Center in Helena, which is a museum dedicated to the history of the Arkansas Delta. The museum interprets the history of the Delta through exhibits, educational programs, annual events, and guided tours. Come in and experience what the Delta has to offer. Currently the museum is hosting an exhibit on the delta blues, “Helena: Main Street of the Blues” gives a unique perspective of the delta’s rich blues music history.

Lincoln's Journey Lands in Memphis

2008-09-24T17:06:00.000-07:00

The Lincoln's Journey crew enjoyed two days in the southern city of Memphis, Tenn. The boat arrived Monday, Sept. 22, at Mud Island River Park. The crew enjoyed some famous Memphis Barbecue and a visit Beale Street that evening. Tuesday, Sept. 23, the boat was available to visitors throughout the day. More than 350 students came to see the boat and another 200 or so people also came to see us. We enjoyed the Mud Island River Park so much, especially the park's River Walk. The River Walk is one of the most unique representations of the Mississippi River in the world! It is a 5-block long replica of the lower Mississippi river, from Cairo, IL, to New Orleans, LA. Each 30" stride is equivalent to one mile on the actual river. The park also has an amazing Mississippi River museum.

Lincoln's Journey Arrives in Osceola

2008-09-21T20:07:00.000-07:00

Osceola, Arkansas welcomed Lincoln's Journey of Remembrance on Sunday, Sept. 21, at the San Soucci Landing. The flatboat crew was treated to a delicious dinner by the Sand Bar Grill in Osceola courtsey of the Osceola Chamber of Commerce. About 200 people came out to see the boat and learn more about Abraham Lincoln.

New Madrid & Caruthersville, Mo.

2008-09-21T09:37:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, we were completely rained out in New Madrid on Friday and unable to set up our tent & informational exhibt. The boat did arrive safely despite intense thunder, lightning and rain. Despite the storm, there were about 25 cars parked at the riverfront to watch the boat arrive. Friday was our first day on the Mississippi and despite the water being about 10 feet above flood stage, the boat did not encounter any problems.

As the crew departed the next morning, I got this great shot of the sunrise in New Madrid, Mo.

We fought rain again Satuday in Caruthersville, Mo. After rain that morning, it cleared off for a few hours in the afternoon, so we were able to set up and distributed Lincoln information booklets and activity pages to about 250 people.

Sunday we travel to our fifth state on this journey: Arkansas. We've already been through Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri.

The friends you make along the way....

2008-09-17T19:07:00.000-07:00

Today in Cairo we encountered another flatboat of sorts traveling down river. A group of five young men from Minnesota built their own boat and were making their way down river to Mobile, Alabama. One of them was biking along the shore and meeting their boat at each stop. The group had been traveling down the Mississippi river for about a month.
We wish them luck on their journey!

Lincoln's Journey Welcomes School Groups in Cairo, IL

2008-09-17T19:05:00.001-07:00

Today we hosted more than 150 elementary students as our boat was docked in Cairo, Ill. Yesterday we enjoyed the hospitality of the city of Cairo and the volunteers at the Custom House Museum. They hosted a barbecue dinner for us and put on a wonderful historical presentation about the life of Abraham Lincoln.

Lincoln's Journey Makes the LA Times

2008-09-17T19:05:00.000-07:00

We've received such great media attention at each of our stops and word of our trip is starting to spread. It made it all the way to Los Angeles!!!

Click here to read about us on the Los Angeles Times Travel Blog!

Flatboat Visits Ft. Massac in Metropolis, IL

2008-09-16T19:05:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday our crew received a warm welcome from the Friends of Fort Massac State Park in Metropolis, Ill.

A variety of activities took place including bobbing for apples, old tyme music, horshoes and more!

A presentation also was given about the history of flatboats on the Ohio River and our crew was treated to a delicious barbecue dinner.

Our Visit to Paducah, Ky

2008-09-15T19:15:00.000-07:00

We welcomed a steady crowd of visitors on Monday in Paducah, Ky. While here, our boat's owner and project partner Ron Drake was named an honorary Kentucky Colonel along with our trip master John Cooper.

Our intern, Casey McCoy who had tired of walking up and down the hill to the flatboat found us a new mode of transportation at a Segway store downtown. He so enjoyed riding it through Paducah's eclectic downtown area. And while Abraham Lincoln would have been on a horse instead, we think he just might have enjoyed the segway too if he could have riden one around Southern Indiana as a boy!

Surviving the Remains of Hurricane Ike

2008-09-14T21:16:00.000-07:00

Today our flatboat was tossed about by the remnents of Hurricane Ike as it made its way down the Ohio River from Elizabethtown, Ill. to Paducah, Ky. The boat sustained some damage, but the crew arrived safely at their destination after making an emergency stop in Golconda, Ill. to assess the damage. The crew members gathered in a circle once the boat was secured and gave a prayer of thanks to God for their safety. Check out this video shot by crew member Bob Bleemel of WBDC Radio to get an idea of what the crew endured.

Prior to today's drama, we enjoyed a wonderful evening in Elizabethtown, Ill., where we stayed at The Rose Hotel. The Hardin County Main Street program hosted a barbecue dinner in our honor and we watched Davy Crocket & The River Pirates on the big screen out on the hotel lawn as well. Abraham Lincoln also made a special apperance.

Jonesboro's Lincoln Douglas Debate Event

2008-09-13T19:05:00.000-07:00

The town of Jonesboro, Ill., celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Lincoln Douglas Debates on Saturday, Sept. 13. Although Jonesboro is about an hour from the Ohio River, where our boat was docked, we couldn't miss the opportunity to attend and share our story with other Lincoln-Lovers! So some of our crew went to Jonesboro while the flatboat stopped at Cave in Rock and Elizabethtown, Ill.

Day 4: Mt. Vernon, Ind.

2008-09-12T19:18:00.000-07:00

Thank you to the people of Mt. Vernon who hosted an amazing River Days festival in our honor today! It was so encouraging to see so many groups of school children come visit the boat to learn about Lincoln's childhood in Spencer County, Indiana.
At left, Sterling Edwards portrays a fur trader as a group of students gathers for a quick living history lesson.
In addition to our boat and educational display, there were a variety of food vendors, crafters and other local historical displays.

Click here to see a slideshow of today's Lincoln's Journey of Remembrance event!

Day 3 On the River

2008-09-11T20:19:00.000-07:00

Flatboat at Evansville at sunset on Wednesday

Today is our third day of life on the river! We've so enjoyed meeting the hundreds of people who have come to see us at each of our stops. We began in Rockport, Ind., and traveled to Owensboro, Ky. on our first day. Yesterday we arrived in Evansville, Ind., and this morning their mayor joined us for a send off ceremony at Dress Plaza. Abraham Lincoln himself made an apperance too! Several hundred school children also visited the boat and attended the ceremony. This afternoon we arrived in our fourth town, Henderson, Ky. We had a steady crowd all afternoon of folks who came to see the boat and learn more about Abraham Lincoln. After a hectic day, it's so peaceful to look at this photo of the boat at sunset and think back to the sunsets Lincoln himself would have witnessed on his own 1828 flatboat journey. Tomorrow we depart at 7 a.m. en route to Mt. Vernon, Ind., where they are hosting a two-day River Days festival in honor of our arrival.

An Amazing First Day!

2008-09-09T20:24:00.000-07:00

Lincoln's Journey of Remembrance is off to an amazing start! More than 500 people attended a send-off ceremony at the Rockport, Ind., riverfront. The crowd included more than 200 school children.

The crew successfully made first leg of the journey on our flatboat from Rockport to Owensboro, Ky., where we took part in a welcoming ceremony organized by the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce. Our boat's owner, Ron Drake was presented with "Keys to the City" in both Rockport and Owensboro.

In the morning we'll head to Evansville where we will be docked at Dress Plaza throughout the day.

Join Us at Our Send Off Ceremony

2008-09-03T12:23:00.000-07:00

Hundreds of school children as well as many area residents are expected to attend the Lincoln's Journey of Remembrance Send-Off Ceremony Tuesday, Sept. 9, at 11 a.m. CDT at the Ohio River Bluff in Rockport.

Indiana's First Lady Cheri Daniels will attend and ride the first leg of the trip from Rockport to Owensboro, Ky.

Ceremony highlights include a keynote address by State Treasurer Richard Mourdock and patriotic musical performances by the Spencer County Community Band and the Rebel Singers of South Spencer High School.

The Rockport, Ind., Post Office will offer a special pictorial postmark cancellation stamp to commemorate this event as well.

A remembrance service also will be held at Little Pigeon Church in Lincoln State Park at 8:30 a.m., prior to the Send Off ceremony. The Lincoln family attended this church during their years spent in Spencer County.

For more information about this event, email thinklincoln@psci.net or call 888-444-9252.

Lincoln's Journey to Set Sail

2008-08-27T11:38:00.000-07:00

Lincoln's Journey of Remembrance will set sail on Tuesday, Sept. 9, with a send-off ceremony beginning at 11 a.m. at the Ohio Riverfront in Rockport.

During Lincoln's Journey of Remembrance, the people of Spencer County, Ind., where Lincoln lived from age 7 to 21, will take their Lincoln heritage down river in an effort to share the story of his formative years spent here with the people of eight states and more than 20 towns along the way to New Orleans, La.

Daily updates on our trip along with photos and videos will be posted on this blog, so be sure to check back often!

For more information about our trip, you may call 888-444-9252 or email us at thinklincoln@psci.net.