The name “Lincoln Log Cabin” may be a little misleading to first-time visitors of the state historic site. The former homes of Thomas and Sarah Bush Lincoln and Stephen Sargent are now working farms with oxen, cattle, crops and some colorful characters who bring it to life.

“A lot of people who come expecting it to be a Lincoln site are surprised we have living history farm activity,” said former superintendent Tom Vance.

During the summer months, historical interpreters dressed in period clothing work the 1845-style farms and demonstrate everything from sheep shearing to quilting, Vance said.

Vance ran the site for 28-and-a-half years before retiring in December to devote time to long-term site projects. He works about half time now, helping the site with transition and volunteering.

The replica of the Lincoln cabin was built in on its original site in 1929 when the state of Illinois acquired the land. The items furnishing the homes are of the 1840s and 1850s, though none are known to have belonged to the Lincolns, according to literature from the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.

The area became a state park in 1936 and wasn’t a state historic site until 1975. The Lincoln cabin had always been there, but the emphasis didn’t shift to the farm’s history until then, Vance said.

That’s when a barn and “outbuildings” joined the cabin, along with fencing and gardens, Vance said. The site became a living history farm with interpreters that help raise crops and livestock.

Thomas and Sarah Bush Lincoln were the father and stepmother of Abraham. The couple and their children were on their way out of Illinois on their way to Indiana after a harsh winter in Decatur. While stopping in Coles County to visit relatives, the Lincolns were convinced to stay and try farming Illinois again.

The Lincoln farm was a traditional farm,Vance said. Sargent, who originally lived about 10 miles from the site, was a more well-to-do farmer.

“The Sargents were more progressive and interested in new developments,” Vance said.

The Sargent home was relocated to the site in 1985, Vance said.

The site aims to educate mostly about farming during the 1840s, during the industrial revolution.

“There was a change from things being homemade to factory-made,” Vance said. New developments in agriculture and transportation also had a big impact on 19th century farm life.

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Interpreters staff the site from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday from April to October, and the site is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday the rest of the year.

During the peak season, the site can see more than 500 visitors on a busy Sunday, Vance said. In all, 115,000 people visited the site last year.

A lot of Eastern students visit the site, usually when parents are visiting, Vance said. Students from the historical administration program of Eastern’s history department help with the annual Harvest Frolic, interpretation, antiques collections and broom making.

They’ve created a rotating exhibit in the Sargent gallery for the last two years, the first focusing on springtime on the farm and the second on summertime, Vance said. This year, the classes will create a fall exhibit and next year they’ll showcase winter.

The site hosts a number of educational events throughout the year. In May, “Sheep to Clothing” demonstrates the processing of wool. June’s “Hammer-In” invites blacksmiths for educational presentations. During the Fourth of July, the site holds a celebration with a period picnic, patriotic speeches and a reading of the Declaration of Independence. On the second Sunday in August, the site hosts its Bluegrass Festival.

The big event comes in October with the Harvest Frolic, which relives the times of neighbors collaborating for a big task, in this case the harvest. The Sargent farm hosts an agricultural fair. Saturday is a day of entertainment with hay rides and a barn dance. Last year, Vance said, 5,000 people came to the Frolic.