My name is Jeff Greer. I’m a volunteer here at the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Park.
I live within 10 miles of the birthplace.
I go to a church in Magnolia with two direct descendants of Austin Gollaher, Abraham Lincoln’s childhood friend. What I will be sharing with you today is a result of my conversations with them as well as articles in newspapers and magazines of the day.
Let me tell you a story…. A story I like to call Austin & Abe, Best Friends Forever!
It’s about two young boys, ages 7 & 10, who were best friends and who played together and worked their family farms together and hunted together and fished together and wandered together in the wild woods and across the hills and knobs around Hodgenville, Kentucky, in the early 1800’s.
As a young boy growing up in Kentucky, Abraham Lincoln, who they called Abe, became close friends with another little boy whose name was Benjamin Austin Gollaher. Everyone called him Austin.
Austin grew to be an old man and lived in this area his whole life. He had many children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. People often asked him about his famous childhood playmate, with whom he once played. He was interviewed many times for newspapers and magazines before he passed away in 1898. He is buried at the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Cemetery about 5 miles east of Hodgenville.
Austin was the son of Thomas Gollaher and was born in March of 1806. He was only three years older than Abe, who was born in 1809. Austin achieved prominence when he was much older, not only because he was Abraham Lincoln's childhood friend, but because according to Austin, he also once saved Abe’s life as he was drowning.
In June of 1816, bored as little boys do become, and against their mothers’ wishes to stay away from the creek when it was high, they got into a little adventure that, if it would have ended any other way, could have changed American history, even world history, in a significant way.
Describing the events of that day, Austin said that he and Abe wandered near the little stream called Knob Creek. Here is the story in his own words:
"I once saved Lincoln's life…While we were wandering up and down the little stream called Knob Creek where Abe and I often played, we decided to cross to the other side. The stream was swollen and was too wide for us to jump across. Finally, we saw a log lying across the stream, and we concluded to try it. It was narrow, but Abe said, 'Let's coon it.’"
“I went first and reached the other side all right. Abe went about half-way across, when he got scared and began trembling. I hollered to him, 'Don't look down nor up nor sideways, but look right at me and hold on tight!’ But he fell off into the creek, and, as the water was deep, and I could not swim, and neither could Abe, I knew it would do no good for me to go in after him.
So I got a stick - a long water sprout - and held it out to him. He came up, grabbed with both hands, and I put the stick into his hands. He clung to it, and I pulled him out on the bank, almost dead. I got him by the arms and shook him well, and then rolled him on the ground, when the water poured out of his mouth.
“He was all right very soon. We promised each other that we would never tell anybody about it, and never did for years. I never told any one of it until after Lincoln was killed."
When talking about his childhood friend, then-President Abraham Lincoln said about Austin Gollaher:
“I would rather see him than any man living."
Please remember this:
- Listen to those who care about you. They love you and want to keep you safe.
- Do not go to places in the wilderness, or in the city, alone. Keep a friend with you and watch out for each other.
- Be careful around rushing or deep water, whether it’s a swollen creek or a neighbor’s swimming pool. It may seem safe but can be dangerous, even for good swimmers.
- There is a greater purpose for your life, and your friend’s life, that we don’t know about, yet. One of you may grow up to be the President someday, so take care of each other.
