LERNA, Ill. (WAND)- A tract of land once purchased by President Abraham Lincoln is up for auction Tuesday.
The 30-acre tract near Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site are part of forty acres Lincoln bought to save his father from financial ruin.
“His father … purchased it in 1830s and, in 1841, he wasn’t able to make the payments, so Abraham said he’d purchase the ground from his father and give him a lifetime lease for a dollar so he wouldn’t lose the ground,” said Ronald Best, who owns the land.
Best and his family bought the thirty acres as part of a larger tract to expand their farm in 1989. His family, too, has a long history in the area.
“My family moved here in the late 1830s,” Best said. “My dad put together a nice farming operation. We had cattle and hogs, raised corn and soybeans over the years.”
Now, the family is selling off 539 acres of land, including the 30-acre tract connected to Lincoln.
“We’ll just see if anybody’s interested in owning a piece of history,” Best said. “It’s just like anything else that someone famous owned, whether it be a racecar or stovepipe hat, it’s got unique value.”
The auction is being held at Unique Suites Hotel in Charleston at 10 a.m. Tuesday.
