March 20, 2025 • 17 mins
On this episode of Our American Stories, Lincoln was one of the greatest leaders in US history, but before he was elected President of the United States, he used his skills as a wrestler to win approval from the masses. Here to tell the story is wrestling historian (and Our American Stories listener) Mike Chapman.
Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
This is Lee Habib and this is our American Stories,
and we tell stories about everything here on this show,
from the arts to sports, and from business to history
and everything in between, including your story sent them our
American Stories dot Com. There's some of our favorites. And
this next story is brought to us by a listener
Mike Chapman, who listens to us on ten forty who
(00:33):
out of Des Moines, Iowa. Abraham Lincoln is one of
the greatest leaders in US history, but prior to his
being elected the sixteenth President of the United States, he
used his skills as a wrestler to win approval from
the masses. Mike Chapman has been writing about and researching
wrestling for many years. He is also the author of
(00:56):
The Sport of Lincoln. Here is Mike Chapman to sh
this turning point story in Abraham Lincoln's life.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Aside from my passion for wrestling, I have long been
intrigued by the history of US presidents. That really began
to blossom when I was executive editor of the daily
newspaper in Dixon, Illinois, which is the hometown of Ronald Reagan.
I was the editor there from nineteen eighty nine to
nineteen ninety eight. During that ten year period, I discovered
(01:27):
that Abe Lincoln had actually served in the very same
location that is Dixon today. Lincoln served there during the
Blackhawk War of eighteen thirty two, and that fact really
inspired me to learn more about Lincoln as a young man,
which in turn led me to the little village of
New Salem, Illinois. It is located about two hundred miles
(01:48):
south of Dixon and about twenty miles northwest of Springfield, Illinois.
And what a wonderful place that is for any history
buff Abraham Lincoln was born on February sixth, eighteen nine
and raised in Kentucky, but when he was seven, the
Lincoln family moved to Indiana. He grew into a strapping
young man, nearly six foot four inches tall and weighing
(02:10):
about one hundred and eighty pounds. He first strolled in
the New Salem in eighteen thirty one as a twenty
two year old looking for a new start in life,
and soon he became engaged in an event that was
destined to play a very important role in his career.
It was called scuffling or grappling, and in modern terms
(02:32):
it is called wrestling, but first a little background. Wrestling
is often called mankind's oldest sport, as it is a
subject in some of the oldest pieces of literature known
to exist. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, composed in ancient Samaar,
which today is now known as a Rock nearly four
(02:52):
thousand years ago, a wrestling contest between Gilgamesh, the king
of the large city of Uruk, and a forest giant
named Incadu is an important feature of the saga in
the Bible. As described in Genesis, the Hebrew patriarch Jacob
wrestles with the Angel of the Lord. After a struggle
that lasted all through the night, the angel gave Jacob
(03:12):
a new name, Israel, which loosely translated means contested with God.
Some of the greatest figures in ancient Greece, such as
theseus Hercules and Achilles, the most celebrated hero in the
Trojan War epic known as the Iliad, were wrestlers, and
there are drawings of wrestlers inside some of the pyramids
(03:33):
in Egypt. Wrestling came to the New World with the
first colonists back in the late sixteen hundreds that flourished
along the Eastern seaboard and moved west with the men
who carved homes out of the wilderness, and it was
popular both as a test of manhood and as a
form of entertainment in small villages like New Salem. It
also attracted bedding, which made it even more popular. Today,
(03:57):
New Salem is a beautiful state park with over six
one hundred and fifty thousand visitors a year. It is
possible to walk through the main gate and stroll down
the same path that a twenty two year old Abe
Lincoln traversed an eighteen thirty one. The village was founded
in eighteen twenty eight, and Lincoln lived there for about
six years, serving as a surveyor, postmaster, stove operator, and
(04:20):
rail splitter. It was here that Lincoln got his first
taste of politics when he was elected to the Illinois
General Assembly, and it was also here, in eighteen thirty
one that the Lincoln legend first began to bloom thanks
to wrestling. Lincoln came to New Salem because he had
(04:41):
received an offer from a man named Denton Offit to
work in his little store situated on a bluff near
the Sangamon River. They had met some time earlier when
Lincoln had worked for Offitt on his flatboat taking goods
down the Mississippi River to sell in New Orleans. Off
It took a liking to Lincoln and told him that
(05:01):
he could work for him in New Salem if he
ever decided to venture over that way. So now, when
Lincoln arrived, off It was in competition with another store
just forty feet from his. It was run by a
man by the name of William Clary. In the summer
of eighteen thirty one, Clary was selling liquor from his
store and doing very well. He charged twelve cents for
(05:23):
a drink of brandy, gin or whiskey, and twice that
for his best wine. He developed a good and steady
business of local customers and visitors from off the river.
When river travelers came up the bluff for a break
in their journeys, they were looking for a place to
drink a bit and swap tails. So off It chose
to build his store very close to Clary's, and the
(05:44):
two men competed for business. Clairey's store was at the
top of the bluff, about forty feet in front of
office store. Travelers had to make a choice between them
as to which was the best place to spend their
small amount of money. Lincoln had him rust off It
with his wiry strength. Offatt had seen Abe pick up
large barrels of whiskey and other bulky items and carry
(06:07):
them off with these. At six feet four and four
inches of height and carrying close to one hundred and
eighty pounds of sinnaway muscle, he was very large man
for that time. Offitt was a man who liked to
talk a lot. He is very proud of his new
helper and boasted to William Clary that Abe was the
strongest man he knew. But Clarrey knew a few strong
(06:28):
men as well. They were men of a different temperament
than Abe Lincoln loud and belligerent when the liquor took effect.
Wrestling was the best way to determine what a man
was made of. The bouts in the thick grass between
Claire's Store an off It Store or a regular occurrence
in a true frontier style. The ringleader of the bunch
(06:49):
was a rugged farmer from nearby Claire's Grove called Jack Armstrong.
Shorter than Lincoln, Armstrong was much thicker and heavier. At
age twenty seven, he was five years older than Abe.
Little is known about Armstrong's wrestling expertise, other than the
fact that he was considered the roughest of the gang
of young men who resided at Clary's Grove and hung
(07:11):
out at the Clary's Tavern.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
And when we continue more of Mike Chapman's story about
Abe Lincoln here in our American Stories, Folks, if you
love the stories we tell about this great country, and
(07:35):
especially the stories of America's rich past, know that all
of our stories about American history, from war to innovation,
culture and faith, are brought to us by the great
folks at Hillsdale College, a place where students study all
the things that are beautiful in life and all the
things that are good in life. And if you can't
cut to Hillsdale, Hillsdale will come to you with their
free and terrific online courses. Go to Hillsdale dot edu
(07:58):
to learn more. And we continue with our American Stories
and Mike Chapman's story a listener about Abraham Lincoln's wrestling
match that became the turning point in his life. Let's
(08:21):
continue with Mike Chapman.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Within a short amount of time from Lincoln's arrival. A
match was brewing, and talk soon reached the point that
if either man shied away, he would be branded a coward.
Tired of Offitt's boasting, Armstrong eagerly accepted the challenge of
wrestling Lincoln. Offatt offered to bet anyone ten dollars that
Lincoln would win. Money, drinks, and various items were soon
(08:45):
being waged all around the village. Finally, the two men,
Lincoln and Armstrong, met on the grassy area between the
stores to settle the talk. As many as one hundred
men gathered to see the contest, as it was undoubtedly
a major source of discussion in the little village and
the surrounding area. While Abe had the advantage in hyped
(09:07):
and leverage, Jack had the advantage and experience and attitude.
He was undoubtedly a more seasoned grappler and fighter. According
to all reports. Now, there were several types of wrestling
that were engaged in on the frontier. One style was
to where the two men agreed to grab a hold
on each other and see who could throw who first.
(09:28):
What it was was just a good old fashioned scuffle,
with each man trying to throw the other to his
back and holding there. It was just two men tugging
and pulling each other in an effort to subdue the other. Yes,
foot stomping was a frequent tactic, as was hire pulling
and thumbing of the face. In nineteen thirty nine, a
popular movie called Abe Blincoln of Illinois was made from
(09:51):
the poetry prize winning player the same name, written by
Robert Sherwood. In this film version of the story, Lincoln,
played perbly by Raymond Massey, tangles with Armstrong, played with
gusto by Howard D. Silva in a wild affair. It
was a dramatic version thus certainly looked good on film.
(10:13):
Many stories had the match ending with Lincoln on his
feet looking down at the defeated Armstrong. The Claire's Grove boys,
angry at seeing their best man beaten, advanced on Lincoln,
shouting at him and raising their fists, and all out
fight appeared imminent. Lincoln supposedly stood with his back against
one of the two stores fist clintch and declared that
(10:34):
he would take them all on one at a time
if necessary. However, Armstrong came to Lincoln's side and told
his pells that Lincoln had beaten him fairly and that
he had proven that he was worthy of their respect. Boys,
he Lincoln is the best fellow that ever broke into
this settlement, said Armstrong, he shall be one of us.
(10:57):
The Claire's Grove boys backed off, and Lincoln gained a
new status in the little village. He was known from
then on as a man not to be trifled with,
despite his infectious grin and considered good humor. The fact
was it seemed that Lincoln could defend himself, and he
gained immense stature due to his wrestling prowess, so the
(11:18):
main thrust of the bout could be described like this.
Lincoln didn't really want to wrestle Armstrong because he felt
it was building up too much as a fight and
not strictly a good natured contest, But when he saw
how everyone's talking about the match and making such a
big deal, he knew it was bound to take place eventually.
It is estimated today that nearly fifteen thousand books have
(11:41):
been written about Abraham Lincoln, more than any other figure
in history, with the exception of Jesus Christ, and many
of these books talk about Lincoln's contest with Jack Armstrong
and its impact on his career. The most thorough discussion
of Lincoln's wrestling background comes in the book Honor's Voice,
That Transformation of Abraham Lincoln, written by Douglas L. Wilson
(12:04):
in nineteen ninety nine. The book offers an entire chapter
nearly thirty two pages devoted to Lincoln's wrestling prowess, appropriately
entitled quote Wrestling with the evidence. Here's the key part.
Abraham Lincoln's election to the presidency and his eventual elevation
to the pantheon of American heroes have transformed his wrestling
(12:27):
match with Jack Armstrong from a rowdy initiation right in
an obscure pioneer village into a notable historical event end quote.
Wilson then quotes John T. Stewart, who knew Lincoln as
well as anyone and brought him into his law firm
in Springfield after Lincoln left New Salem. Quote, this was
(12:50):
the turning point in Lincoln's life, Stuart claimed after the
death of his longtime friend talking about the wrestling match.
Getting into the New Salem wrestling match story, Lincoln became
friends with the Armstrong family and often visited the Little
Cabin in the months after the match with Jack. Jack's
(13:11):
wife Hannah even knitted some shirts for Abe, and Abe
would babysit, sometimes rocking the cradle of their young baby.
Lincoln left New Salem after six years and moved to Springfield,
where he began his law career. Years later, he even
defended Jack's son, Deaf Armstrong, in a famous legal case.
(13:32):
Jack Armstrong didn't live long enough to see Lincoln win
the presidency, dying in eighteen fifty four at the age
of fifty. He is buried in obscure Out of the
Way Frontiers Cemetery, a mile or two from New Salem.
Unknown except for his grappling contest with a man who
became the sixteenth President of the United States and arguably
(13:53):
the most popular American ever, there are other brief references
to Lincoln using his grappling skill after the Armstrong encounter.
Some time later, while working in another tiny store in
New Salem, a man insulted several women customers with profane language,
and Lincoln asked him to stop. The man persisted and
(14:14):
said no one could make him stop. Lincoln challenged him
to step outside, flung into the ground, and stuffed weeds
in his mouth until the man surrendered. In August of
eighteen thirty four, while running for the state legislature, Lincoln
found the opportunity to show his wrestling skills once again.
During that time, he was running for office once again,
(14:38):
and this time he was elected to the state Legislature.
Just as Lincoln was getting ready to speak, a fight
broke out in the crowd and his friend was roughed up.
Lincoln jumped off the platform, grabbed his friend's assailant, tossed
him a few feet, then strode back to the platform
and began his speech. And then there was also a
(14:58):
report of Lincoln losing a grappling contest. It occurred during
the Blackhawk War years, sometime in the eighteen thirty one
thirty three period, and took place at Beardstown, Illinois, a
little village about fifty miles west of Dixon. The foe
was a man named Lorenzo Dow Thompson, and many years later,
(15:20):
in eighteen sixty, while running for the presidency, Lincoln himself
talked about the struggle in an interview. Lincoln sat, up
to that time he had never been thrown, and neither
had Thompson. They squared off, grabbed hold of each other
before a large group of soldiers and struggled valiantly. But
Lincoln said he was thrown twice, declaring Thompson was strong
(15:44):
enough to whip a grizzly bear and the best man
he had ever grappled with. And then there was this
fascinating tidbit from the Douglas Wilson book Honor's Voice. He
adds that Abe's mother, Nancy Hanks, liked to wrestle, and quote,
in a fair wrestle, she could throw most of the
men who ever put her powers to the test. So
(16:08):
let us conclude with this statement from Wilson's book quote, legends,
by their very nature, are not so much factual account
as symbolic embodiments or expressions of what the facts represent.
In any case, Abe Lincoln's wrestling prowess can best be
interpreted as representing Lincoln as a strong, determined and fearless fellow,
(16:32):
ready to take all the task at hand and never
shrinking from the ordeal itself. After all, that is what
the man known as honest Abe would want from us,
the peer, truth, the facts, and nothing else. Abe Lincoln
was a wrestler.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
And you've been listening to Mike Chapman tell the story
of Abe Lincoln the wrestler who knew who knew? I didn't,
And I've read a lot about Lincoln and well, some
of the books he cited I have on my desk.
I have a stack of Lincoln books I still have
to read. And you can never stop reading about Lincoln
and Washington and some of these great almost Titanic personalities
(17:14):
because there's just so much to them. By the way,
Mike spent his life as a newspaper writer and editor
in Iowa, and also has spent fifty years of his
life writing and researching wrestling. He's appeared on A and
E Network, ESPN, and the WWE abe Lincoln and the
wrestling match that became the turning point in his life.
(17:36):
Here on Our American Stories.
This is Lee Habib and this is our American Stories,
and we tell stories about everything here on this show,
from the arts to sports, and from business to history
and everything in between, including your story sent them our
American Stories dot Com. There's some of our favorites. And
this next story is brought to us by a listener
Mike Chapman, who listens to us on ten forty who
(00:33):
out of Des Moines, Iowa. Abraham Lincoln is one of
the greatest leaders in US history, but prior to his
being elected the sixteenth President of the United States, he
used his skills as a wrestler to win approval from
the masses. Mike Chapman has been writing about and researching
wrestling for many years. He is also the author of
(00:56):
The Sport of Lincoln. Here is Mike Chapman to sh
this turning point story in Abraham Lincoln's life.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Aside from my passion for wrestling, I have long been
intrigued by the history of US presidents. That really began
to blossom when I was executive editor of the daily
newspaper in Dixon, Illinois, which is the hometown of Ronald Reagan.
I was the editor there from nineteen eighty nine to
nineteen ninety eight. During that ten year period, I discovered
(01:27):
that Abe Lincoln had actually served in the very same
location that is Dixon today. Lincoln served there during the
Blackhawk War of eighteen thirty two, and that fact really
inspired me to learn more about Lincoln as a young man,
which in turn led me to the little village of
New Salem, Illinois. It is located about two hundred miles
(01:48):
south of Dixon and about twenty miles northwest of Springfield, Illinois.
And what a wonderful place that is for any history
buff Abraham Lincoln was born on February sixth, eighteen nine
and raised in Kentucky, but when he was seven, the
Lincoln family moved to Indiana. He grew into a strapping
young man, nearly six foot four inches tall and weighing
(02:10):
about one hundred and eighty pounds. He first strolled in
the New Salem in eighteen thirty one as a twenty
two year old looking for a new start in life,
and soon he became engaged in an event that was
destined to play a very important role in his career.
It was called scuffling or grappling, and in modern terms
(02:32):
it is called wrestling, but first a little background. Wrestling
is often called mankind's oldest sport, as it is a
subject in some of the oldest pieces of literature known
to exist. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, composed in ancient Samaar,
which today is now known as a Rock nearly four
(02:52):
thousand years ago, a wrestling contest between Gilgamesh, the king
of the large city of Uruk, and a forest giant
named Incadu is an important feature of the saga in
the Bible. As described in Genesis, the Hebrew patriarch Jacob
wrestles with the Angel of the Lord. After a struggle
that lasted all through the night, the angel gave Jacob
(03:12):
a new name, Israel, which loosely translated means contested with God.
Some of the greatest figures in ancient Greece, such as
theseus Hercules and Achilles, the most celebrated hero in the
Trojan War epic known as the Iliad, were wrestlers, and
there are drawings of wrestlers inside some of the pyramids
(03:33):
in Egypt. Wrestling came to the New World with the
first colonists back in the late sixteen hundreds that flourished
along the Eastern seaboard and moved west with the men
who carved homes out of the wilderness, and it was
popular both as a test of manhood and as a
form of entertainment in small villages like New Salem. It
also attracted bedding, which made it even more popular. Today,
(03:57):
New Salem is a beautiful state park with over six
one hundred and fifty thousand visitors a year. It is
possible to walk through the main gate and stroll down
the same path that a twenty two year old Abe
Lincoln traversed an eighteen thirty one. The village was founded
in eighteen twenty eight, and Lincoln lived there for about
six years, serving as a surveyor, postmaster, stove operator, and
(04:20):
rail splitter. It was here that Lincoln got his first
taste of politics when he was elected to the Illinois
General Assembly, and it was also here, in eighteen thirty
one that the Lincoln legend first began to bloom thanks
to wrestling. Lincoln came to New Salem because he had
(04:41):
received an offer from a man named Denton Offit to
work in his little store situated on a bluff near
the Sangamon River. They had met some time earlier when
Lincoln had worked for Offitt on his flatboat taking goods
down the Mississippi River to sell in New Orleans. Off
It took a liking to Lincoln and told him that
(05:01):
he could work for him in New Salem if he
ever decided to venture over that way. So now, when
Lincoln arrived, off It was in competition with another store
just forty feet from his. It was run by a
man by the name of William Clary. In the summer
of eighteen thirty one, Clary was selling liquor from his
store and doing very well. He charged twelve cents for
(05:23):
a drink of brandy, gin or whiskey, and twice that
for his best wine. He developed a good and steady
business of local customers and visitors from off the river.
When river travelers came up the bluff for a break
in their journeys, they were looking for a place to
drink a bit and swap tails. So off It chose
to build his store very close to Clary's, and the
(05:44):
two men competed for business. Clairey's store was at the
top of the bluff, about forty feet in front of
office store. Travelers had to make a choice between them
as to which was the best place to spend their
small amount of money. Lincoln had him rust off It
with his wiry strength. Offatt had seen Abe pick up
large barrels of whiskey and other bulky items and carry
(06:07):
them off with these. At six feet four and four
inches of height and carrying close to one hundred and
eighty pounds of sinnaway muscle, he was very large man
for that time. Offitt was a man who liked to
talk a lot. He is very proud of his new
helper and boasted to William Clary that Abe was the
strongest man he knew. But Clarrey knew a few strong
(06:28):
men as well. They were men of a different temperament
than Abe Lincoln loud and belligerent when the liquor took effect.
Wrestling was the best way to determine what a man
was made of. The bouts in the thick grass between
Claire's Store an off It Store or a regular occurrence
in a true frontier style. The ringleader of the bunch
(06:49):
was a rugged farmer from nearby Claire's Grove called Jack Armstrong.
Shorter than Lincoln, Armstrong was much thicker and heavier. At
age twenty seven, he was five years older than Abe.
Little is known about Armstrong's wrestling expertise, other than the
fact that he was considered the roughest of the gang
of young men who resided at Clary's Grove and hung
(07:11):
out at the Clary's Tavern.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
And when we continue more of Mike Chapman's story about
Abe Lincoln here in our American Stories, Folks, if you
love the stories we tell about this great country, and
(07:35):
especially the stories of America's rich past, know that all
of our stories about American history, from war to innovation,
culture and faith, are brought to us by the great
folks at Hillsdale College, a place where students study all
the things that are beautiful in life and all the
things that are good in life. And if you can't
cut to Hillsdale, Hillsdale will come to you with their
free and terrific online courses. Go to Hillsdale dot edu
(07:58):
to learn more. And we continue with our American Stories
and Mike Chapman's story a listener about Abraham Lincoln's wrestling
match that became the turning point in his life. Let's
(08:21):
continue with Mike Chapman.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Within a short amount of time from Lincoln's arrival. A
match was brewing, and talk soon reached the point that
if either man shied away, he would be branded a coward.
Tired of Offitt's boasting, Armstrong eagerly accepted the challenge of
wrestling Lincoln. Offatt offered to bet anyone ten dollars that
Lincoln would win. Money, drinks, and various items were soon
(08:45):
being waged all around the village. Finally, the two men,
Lincoln and Armstrong, met on the grassy area between the
stores to settle the talk. As many as one hundred
men gathered to see the contest, as it was undoubtedly
a major source of discussion in the little village and
the surrounding area. While Abe had the advantage in hyped
(09:07):
and leverage, Jack had the advantage and experience and attitude.
He was undoubtedly a more seasoned grappler and fighter. According
to all reports. Now, there were several types of wrestling
that were engaged in on the frontier. One style was
to where the two men agreed to grab a hold
on each other and see who could throw who first.
(09:28):
What it was was just a good old fashioned scuffle,
with each man trying to throw the other to his
back and holding there. It was just two men tugging
and pulling each other in an effort to subdue the other. Yes,
foot stomping was a frequent tactic, as was hire pulling
and thumbing of the face. In nineteen thirty nine, a
popular movie called Abe Blincoln of Illinois was made from
(09:51):
the poetry prize winning player the same name, written by
Robert Sherwood. In this film version of the story, Lincoln,
played perbly by Raymond Massey, tangles with Armstrong, played with
gusto by Howard D. Silva in a wild affair. It
was a dramatic version thus certainly looked good on film.
(10:13):
Many stories had the match ending with Lincoln on his
feet looking down at the defeated Armstrong. The Claire's Grove boys,
angry at seeing their best man beaten, advanced on Lincoln,
shouting at him and raising their fists, and all out
fight appeared imminent. Lincoln supposedly stood with his back against
one of the two stores fist clintch and declared that
(10:34):
he would take them all on one at a time
if necessary. However, Armstrong came to Lincoln's side and told
his pells that Lincoln had beaten him fairly and that
he had proven that he was worthy of their respect. Boys,
he Lincoln is the best fellow that ever broke into
this settlement, said Armstrong, he shall be one of us.
(10:57):
The Claire's Grove boys backed off, and Lincoln gained a
new status in the little village. He was known from
then on as a man not to be trifled with,
despite his infectious grin and considered good humor. The fact
was it seemed that Lincoln could defend himself, and he
gained immense stature due to his wrestling prowess, so the
(11:18):
main thrust of the bout could be described like this.
Lincoln didn't really want to wrestle Armstrong because he felt
it was building up too much as a fight and
not strictly a good natured contest, But when he saw
how everyone's talking about the match and making such a
big deal, he knew it was bound to take place eventually.
It is estimated today that nearly fifteen thousand books have
(11:41):
been written about Abraham Lincoln, more than any other figure
in history, with the exception of Jesus Christ, and many
of these books talk about Lincoln's contest with Jack Armstrong
and its impact on his career. The most thorough discussion
of Lincoln's wrestling background comes in the book Honor's Voice,
That Transformation of Abraham Lincoln, written by Douglas L. Wilson
(12:04):
in nineteen ninety nine. The book offers an entire chapter
nearly thirty two pages devoted to Lincoln's wrestling prowess, appropriately
entitled quote Wrestling with the evidence. Here's the key part.
Abraham Lincoln's election to the presidency and his eventual elevation
to the pantheon of American heroes have transformed his wrestling
(12:27):
match with Jack Armstrong from a rowdy initiation right in
an obscure pioneer village into a notable historical event end quote.
Wilson then quotes John T. Stewart, who knew Lincoln as
well as anyone and brought him into his law firm
in Springfield after Lincoln left New Salem. Quote, this was
(12:50):
the turning point in Lincoln's life, Stuart claimed after the
death of his longtime friend talking about the wrestling match.
Getting into the New Salem wrestling match story, Lincoln became
friends with the Armstrong family and often visited the Little
Cabin in the months after the match with Jack. Jack's
(13:11):
wife Hannah even knitted some shirts for Abe, and Abe
would babysit, sometimes rocking the cradle of their young baby.
Lincoln left New Salem after six years and moved to Springfield,
where he began his law career. Years later, he even
defended Jack's son, Deaf Armstrong, in a famous legal case.
(13:32):
Jack Armstrong didn't live long enough to see Lincoln win
the presidency, dying in eighteen fifty four at the age
of fifty. He is buried in obscure Out of the
Way Frontiers Cemetery, a mile or two from New Salem.
Unknown except for his grappling contest with a man who
became the sixteenth President of the United States and arguably
(13:53):
the most popular American ever, there are other brief references
to Lincoln using his grappling skill after the Armstrong encounter.
Some time later, while working in another tiny store in
New Salem, a man insulted several women customers with profane language,
and Lincoln asked him to stop. The man persisted and
(14:14):
said no one could make him stop. Lincoln challenged him
to step outside, flung into the ground, and stuffed weeds
in his mouth until the man surrendered. In August of
eighteen thirty four, while running for the state legislature, Lincoln
found the opportunity to show his wrestling skills once again.
During that time, he was running for office once again,
(14:38):
and this time he was elected to the state Legislature.
Just as Lincoln was getting ready to speak, a fight
broke out in the crowd and his friend was roughed up.
Lincoln jumped off the platform, grabbed his friend's assailant, tossed
him a few feet, then strode back to the platform
and began his speech. And then there was also a
(14:58):
report of Lincoln losing a grappling contest. It occurred during
the Blackhawk War years, sometime in the eighteen thirty one
thirty three period, and took place at Beardstown, Illinois, a
little village about fifty miles west of Dixon. The foe
was a man named Lorenzo Dow Thompson, and many years later,
(15:20):
in eighteen sixty, while running for the presidency, Lincoln himself
talked about the struggle in an interview. Lincoln sat, up
to that time he had never been thrown, and neither
had Thompson. They squared off, grabbed hold of each other
before a large group of soldiers and struggled valiantly. But
Lincoln said he was thrown twice, declaring Thompson was strong
(15:44):
enough to whip a grizzly bear and the best man
he had ever grappled with. And then there was this
fascinating tidbit from the Douglas Wilson book Honor's Voice. He
adds that Abe's mother, Nancy Hanks, liked to wrestle, and quote,
in a fair wrestle, she could throw most of the
men who ever put her powers to the test. So
(16:08):
let us conclude with this statement from Wilson's book quote, legends,
by their very nature, are not so much factual account
as symbolic embodiments or expressions of what the facts represent.
In any case, Abe Lincoln's wrestling prowess can best be
interpreted as representing Lincoln as a strong, determined and fearless fellow,
(16:32):
ready to take all the task at hand and never
shrinking from the ordeal itself. After all, that is what
the man known as honest Abe would want from us,
the peer, truth, the facts, and nothing else. Abe Lincoln
was a wrestler.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
And you've been listening to Mike Chapman tell the story
of Abe Lincoln the wrestler who knew who knew? I didn't,
And I've read a lot about Lincoln and well, some
of the books he cited I have on my desk.
I have a stack of Lincoln books I still have
to read. And you can never stop reading about Lincoln
and Washington and some of these great almost Titanic personalities
(17:14):
because there's just so much to them. By the way,
Mike spent his life as a newspaper writer and editor
in Iowa, and also has spent fifty years of his
life writing and researching wrestling. He's appeared on A and
E Network, ESPN, and the WWE abe Lincoln and the
wrestling match that became the turning point in his life.
(17:36):
Here on Our American Stories.
Host
Lee Habeeb
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.