Denton Offutt
Denton Offutt hired a young Abraham Lincoln to transport goods down the Sangamon River. As a result
of this trip, Abe came up with an invention to allow boats to get over shoals or low water in the river. The model
below was made by Abe and is in the Smithsonian. He was awarded a patent and is the only president to have such a
distinction. Abe later worked for Denton in his store for almost a year until the store went bankrupt. Denton was
considered a shyster.
First known picture of Abraham Lincoln in 1846 - age 37
Excerpt from Autobiography of Abraham Lincoln
During that winter, A. together with his step-mother's son, John D. Johnston, and John Hanks,
yet residing in Macon county, hired themselves to one Denton Offutt, to take a flat boat from Beardstown Illinois
to New-Orleans; and for that purpose, were to join him - Offut - at Springfield, Ills so soon as the snow should go
off. When it did go off which was about the 1st of March 1831 - the county was so flooded, as to make traveling by
land impracticable; to obviate which difficulty they purchased a large canoe and came down the Sangamon river in
it. This is the time and the manner of A's first entrance into Sangamon County. They found Offutt at Springfield,
but learned from him that he had failed in getting a boat at Beardstown. This lead to their hiring themselves to
him at $12 per month, each; and getting the timber out of the trees and building a boat at old Sangamon Town on the
Sangamon river, seven miles N.W. of Springfield, which boat they took to New-Orleans, substantially upon the old
contract. It was in connection with this boat that occurred the ludicrous incident of sewing up the hogs eyes. Offutt
bought thirty odd large fat live hogs, but found difficulty in driving them from where he purchased them to the boat,
and thereupon conceived the whim that he could sew up their eyes and drive them where he pleased. No sooner thought
of than decided, he put his hands, including A. at the job, which they completed - all but the driving. In their
blind condition they could not be driven out of the lot or field they were in. This expedient failing; they were
tied and hauled on carts to the boat. It was near the Sangamon River, within what is now Menard county.
During this boat enterprise acquaintance with Offutt, who was previously an entire stranger, he conceived a
liking for A. and believing he could turn him to account, he contracted with him to act as clerk for him, on his
return from New Orleans in charge of a store and Mill at New-Salem, then in Sangamon, now in Menard county.
