Summary

Chapter 16 began by describing the Pigeon church built about a mile from the Lincolns’ farm in 1822. Tom joined the church in 1823, and was elected in 1824 to serve on the committee that dealt with visitors. He also served as a trustee of the church. As a trustee, he helped settle disputes between community members on other committees. Tom subscribed to donate the fruits of his labor to support the church. Settlers of Indiana included branches of Christian of denominates, including Catholicism and Protestantism. The latter branched into Methodist, Baptist, and Presbyterian groups. In the early frontier, preachers traveled from place to place, but by this time, meeting houses were built for organized worship. The teachings of the Bible were integral to the daily lives of the settlers. They applied them to their everyday chores, yet many were unable to read them Bible themselves. They could...