Page 13 - 0221

February 2021 - Antique Shoppe - 13

Lincoln’s Log Cabin Collectibles

By Larry LeMasters
LeMasters’ Antique News Service
Presidents’ Day is Monday, February 15th, stated, “The ‘log cabin myth,’ has been around
and it celebrates all U.S. presidents, past and almost as long as presidents have, and the myth
present. The day was originally, as far back as still persists today. This homespun bit of American
1885, celebrated as President George Washington’s folklore was first used as a political tool for the
birthday, but in 1971, in order to create more reelection of President William Henry Harrison.
three-day weekends, the Uniform Monday Holiday The Baltimore Republican newspaper wrote of
Act passed, creating just one day in February to Harrison, ‘Give him a barrel of hard cider and
celebrate all presidents, including a provision settle a pension of 2,000 a year on him and he will
to combine the celebration of Washington’s sit the remainder of his days in his log cabin.’”
birthday with that of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, Streitfeld called Lincoln, “the greatest
which fell on February 12th. Many Americans contributor to the log cabin myth.” While Lincoln
supported joining the two days as a way of giving This antique stoneware Abraham Lincoln log cabin, was actually born in a log cabin, Thomas Lincoln,
equal recognition to America’s two most famous circa 1912, advertising Van Dyk Tea, is valued at $30. at the time of his son’s (Abraham’s) birth, owned
presidents. two farms totaling 1200 acres and lots of livestock
The earliest known celebration frontier helped to shape his character and horses. “Thomas Lincoln’s wealth made him
of Lincoln’s birthday occurred and prepare the boy who would grow nearly the richest man in the area.”
in Buffalo, New York, in either up to become the 16th President Later, in 1860 after being elected president,
1873 or 1874 when Julius of the United States to lead the Lincoln summed up his early life by stating, “all
Francis, a Buffalo druggist, made nation through the tragic and can be condensed into a single sentence and that
it his life long mission to honor turbulent times of the Civil sentence you will find in Gray’s Elegy – ‘the short
his idol, President Lincoln. War. His legacy of liberty and and simple annals of the poor.’” Lincoln believed
The U.S. mint, to honor equality remains relevant today the American public wanted to hear the myth of his
Lincoln, released four new and continues to impact people birth more than the reality.
Lincoln pennies to celebrate his around the world.” Recently, two searches on eBay for “Abraham
bicentennial birthday. While the The original log cabin is long Lincoln’s Log Cabins” revealed 145 possible
standard portrait of Lincoln’s gone, but a collectibles on one
head remained on the front, Knob Creek, Kentucky, Abraham Lincoln log “symbolic search and 161
each of these commemorative cabin plate, circa 1960s, that is valued at $13. birth possible collectibles
coins have new engravings on cabin is on a second search,
their reverse sides, showing stages in Lincoln’s life. enshrined within a Neo- proving that the myth
And while all four are found in nearly all Lincoln Classical Memorial Building of the humble birth
collections, one of the coins is found in collections on the traditional site of of Abraham Lincoln
that are limited to Lincoln’s log cabin upbringing. the birthplace of Abraham is still believed and,
This coin shows a log cabin Lincoln.” This based on collectible
that is representative of symbolic log cabins, is ever
the cabin Lincoln was cabin has been the growing.
born in. And, collectors, inspiration for most “Life of Abraham Lincoln – From Log Cabin to the This makes sense
who appreciate and collect of the Lincoln log White House” post card. This card was a souvenir when you consider
Lincoln’s Log Cabin cabins collected from Springfield, IL, in the 1960s and is valued at $5. that Shinbone Star
collectibles, value this today. Included newspaper owner
coin along with all things among collectibles and editor said,
related to Lincoln and log obtained in the gift “This is America! “When the legend becomes fact,
cabins. shop of the park are tourist postcards print the legend.” Fact, myth, or legend, the story
School children across featuring the log cabin. Some of the of Lincoln’s birth has grown larger than his stove
America, for nearly 160 most collectible of these date to the top hat. And collectors continue to add to the
years, have learned 1930s and ‘40s and are highly prized legend each year.
that Lincoln was born today. One of the most sought after
in a log cabin. Part log cabin collectibles is the log cabin
of Lincoln’s mystic bank that was sold in the Lincoln
and stature evolved Birthplace Memorial’s gift shop
because of Abraham in the 1940s. This inexpensive log
Lincoln’s log cabin cabin bank has started many school
myth. Lincoln Logs were first produced in 1916. This age boys dreaming about becoming
According to the spectacular Lincoln Log set was made in the 1930s president. Their shared motto seems
and includes a 16-page log cabin design book.
National Park Service, to have been, “if Abe could do it,
Lincoln was, “Born coming from this humble origin, I
in a one-room log cabin on his father’s Sinking can do it too.” Sadly, according to David Streitfeld,
Spring Farm on Sunday, February 12, 1809, Lincoln’s humble birth is a myth. 2009 Lincoln Log Cabin penny that illustrates
Abraham Lincoln’s early years on the Kentucky Streitfeld (Razing the Log Cabin Myth, 1984) Abraham Lincoln’s birthplace.