Boat honoring Lincoln to set sail in 2008

In 1958, Spencer County resident Duane Walter went on a boat ride down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to commemorate the trip Lincoln took 130 years before and to celebrate Lincoln’s 150th birthday. Walter described his trip as a “real adventure.” \nWalter will experience the same adventure and beautiful river scenery again in September 2008 when he takes a similar boat trip, called “Lincoln’s Journey of Remembrance,” in honor of Lincoln’s 200th birthday.\n“Not everyone knows that Lincoln lived in Spencer County for 14 years,” Walter said. “He came here when he was seven and left when he was 21.”\nThe 26-day journey is designed to “raise awareness” of Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday on February 12, 2009, said Melissa Miller, executive director of the Spencer County Visitors Bureau. The trip will kick off in Rockport, Ind., and end in New Orleans.\n“While in New Orleans, Lincoln was very disturbed by a slave auction he witnessed on the docks,” Miller said. “This was an experience he would never forget and one that influenced his views on the practice of slavery in years to come.”\nThe boat will be stopping in Owensboro, Ky.; Evansville; Cave-in-Rock, Ill.; New Madrid, Mo.; Memphis, Tenn.; and Baton Rouge, La.\nShe said the goal of the trip is not only to pay tribute to Lincoln’s legacy, but also to educate people about the various attractions honoring Lincoln in Spencer County, such as the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, Lincoln State Park and Amphitheatre, Lincoln Ferry Park and the Lincoln Pioneer Village. \n“Although Lincoln was born in Kentucky and rose to political fame in Illinois, many of the lessons he learned growing up in Indiana formed his character and influenced the decisions he made as President,” Miller said. \nJohn Cooper, who constructed the vessel for the voyage, said it looks like a pioneer flatboat, similar to the one Lincoln was on. The inside “looks and smells” very realistic to how it would have in 1828. There will be pots, pans, skillets and corn on board, much like what Lincoln would have had. The boat is 43,000 pounds and took three months to build, he said.\nCooper said all of the lumber came from a farm in Sullivan, Ind., which is also where the boat was made. He said the boat has “two or three” rooms and a bathroom facility. \n“This trip gives people the chance to see what life was like in the late 1700s/early 1800s,” Cooper said. “The reason I do this is because it is the best means to understand U.S. history.” \nWalter said the trip is interesting because it is a recreation of an actual event that happened in history.\n“This is a chance for people in Indiana to take pride in the fact that our state helped shape this frontier boy into a great man,” Miller said. “We’re excited about taking the story of Lincoln’s Indiana heritage down-river to share with people all over the country.”