Lincoln's Farm Legacy
Presidential museum exhibit shows rural roots influenced Lincoln's character and political agenda
November 2009
Dale Jensen
 |
llinois boasts ties to several noteworthy ag equipment manufacturers. Models displayed in the exhibit celebrate (from left) International Harvester and Farmall, John Deere, the Froelich engine (the forebear of the Waterloo Boy tractor, which launched the Deere tractor line), and the J.I. Case line, which began using an eagle named “Old Abe” as its mascot at the end of the Civil War.
Dale Jensen
|
The average American is expected to change jobs about nine times during a lifetime.
With at least eight job titles to his credit, Abraham Lincoln would be considered an average American today. Well-known in later life as a shrewd lawyer and politician, Lincoln’s early jobs included flatboat operator, merchant, postmaster and surveyor. With less than one year of formal schooling, he furthered his education through each new job. His work ethic, ambition and continual desire for self-improvement undoubtedly stemmed from a trait he shares with many other successful men and women: Abraham Lincoln grew up on a farm.
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A new exhibit at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield, Ill., examines the impact agriculture had on Lincoln’s life, and the role he played in its growth in Illinois and the U.S. How Vast and How Varied a Field: The Agricultural Vision of Abraham Lincoln will be featured in the museum’s Illinois Gallery through August 2010. This is the first of several exhibits showcasing Illinois as the state prepares for a 2018 bicentennial celebration. (The largest artifact in the exhibit is the tractor designed by Joseph Dain, which was particularly challenging to get into the museum. Read about the process in “Two-Ton Tractor Lighter Than Air” or watch the video, “John Deere Dain Tractor Move.” )
Both literally and figuratively, Lincoln truly was a pioneer. During his boyhood in Kentucky and Indiana he had ample firsthand experience with land clearing and subsistence farming. Years later, as a representative in the Illinois legislature, he championed Whig party proposals for roads, canals and railroads, improvements that set the stage for a leadership role in crop production and agricultural manufacturing.
While serving as president, Lincoln’s vision encompassed an entire nation. Lincoln-era legislation directly benefiting agriculture included the Homestead Act, the Pacific Railroad Act, the Morrill Land Act, the Legal Tender Act and establishment of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Lincoln was also a strong proponent of technology. For instance, he envisioned a steam-powered plow, a concept as futuristic in the 1850s as satellite-guided planting would be 100 years later. Technology has revolutionized farming – and museums. State-of-the-art technology is utilized throughout the Lincoln museum. Upon entering the Illinois Gallery, visitors discover a flat, white panel cut to the shape of Illinois. A kaleidoscope of images illustrate the infrastructure, crop production and population growth that have made Illinois a leading agricultural state.