Abraham Lincoln resided at New Salem from the summer of 1831 until the spring of 1837, supporting himself successively as clerk and mill hand, soldier in the Black Hawk War, storekeeper, postmaster and deputy surveyor. In 1832 he entered politics. Although defeated in his first campaign for the Legislature, he was elected a member of the House of Representatives in 1834 and again in 1836. Throughout his residence at New Salem, Lincoln strove to perfect his education, studying grammar, mathematics, and finally law. Upon his admission to the bar in March 1837, he sought greater opportunities than New Salem offered, and so removed to Springfield.
It was on a pleasant April day that the flat-bottomed boat, loaded with barrel pork, corn and live pigs, and piloted by young Abe Lincoln, rounded a bend in the Sangamon River and came to rest on top of the miller’s dam that stretched out across the river. The bow of the boat was raised high into the air. The squeals of the frightened pigs brought the citizens of New Salem hurrying down the bluff to the river bank.
This was Lincoln’s introduction to the people of New Salem. Denton Offut, a swaggering, boastful, hard-drinking frontiersman, was owner of the boat. He became so impressed with the thriving little village that he decided to return after the voyage to New Orleans, and open a store with Lincoln as his clerk. The new store was opened the following September.
Lincoln helped fell the trees from which Offut’s one-room log store was erected. It stands on the bluff that leads down to the grist mill and the river bank. It was the usual type of frontier store, stocked with produce from the prairie farms or objects made at home.
It was while working for Offut that Lincoln decided to improve his education. In fair weather, when there were no customers about, Lincoln could be seen lounging on the porch studying or talking with friends about slavery, crops, politics, cockfighting, horse racing or just telling stories to listening loafers.
At the top of the bluff, among the tall oak trees, stood the cabin of Rowen Herndon. Lincoln boarded here because it was near the store.
