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Photo 3: Reconstructed pioneer log cabin.

The Lincoln Living Historical Farm does not retain any of the original structures from Abraham Lincoln's time. This cabin was built in an attempt to depict a typical farm of his period in Indiana. It incorporates some of what is known of the Lincoln farm and the activities which were a common part of the Lincoln family's daily life. This reconstructed cabin was built as part of the living history component of the park.

Questions for Photo 3

1. The typical pioneer log cabin was approximately 18' x 20' and consisted of one room. What do you think it would have been like for an entire family to live in such a dwelling? What would be some advantages and disadvantages of living in such a manner?

2. How important do you think the fireplace would have been to the pioneers? Why?

3. Preserving food by "smoking" it was a common practice. Meat was hung in a smokehouse where a small fire was built that would create a lot of smoke. The smoke would surround the meat and help preserve it. Can you find the smokehouse in this picture?

* The image on this screen has a resolution of 72 dots per inch (dpi), and therefore will print poorly. You can obtain a larger version of Photo 3, but be aware that the file will take as much as 57 seconds to load with a 28.8K modem.