Lincoln Heritage Trail
leads efforts to tell story
of nation’s 16th president

Telling the story of Abraham Lincoln follows many twists and turns through places, people and events. That’s why the Kentucky Lincoln Heritage Trail was formed.

Consisting of 20 historic sites with ties to America’s 16th president, the trail enables visitors to learn about Lincoln through his family and childhood experiences, including his political advisors. The journey also includes the Hodgenville native’s involvement with such issues as slavery and emancipation and his contact with fellow Kentuckians.

Administered by the Kentucky Lincoln Heritage Trail Alliance (KLHTA), the organization coordinates marketing and educational initiatives concerning the Civil War-era president. The KLHTA is a 501c-3 nonprofit organization governed by a board of directors made up of directors from the 20 trail sites.

Initially, the Lincoln Heritage Trail was formed in the 1960s consisting of Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois. Although they still cooperate on projects, each state, in recent years, has focused more on operations within their borders. As a result, the KLHTA was formed in 2008.

Kentucky benefitted from organizational efforts through visitation and economic-impact increases. Lincoln-related promotions during the Lincoln Bicentennial (2008-10) resulted in a combined 28 percent increase in visitation to Lincoln Trail sites. In addition, such efforts were associated with a 5.1 percent increase in tourism-related economic impact in Lincoln Trail communities. Also, annual visitation at trail sites totaled more than 400,000 individuals.

The KLHTA is pursuing a Lincoln National Heritage Area Congressional designation, for which a feasibility study is now being completed by the National Park Service. The KLHTA has applied to be the coordinating entity for the proposed Kentucky Lincoln National Heritage Area.

More information is available at www.kentuckylincolntrail.org or by contacting Alliance Director Warren Greer at warren.greer@kentuckylincolntrail.org or 502-262-9790.