"Lincoln National Memorial near Hodgenville, KY," 1930-1942 Postcard

By the early 20th century, the real Abraham Lincoln had long since faded from people's memory. A new generation of Americans had come of age who only knew the stories, the myths, the legends. This generation transformed Lincoln the man into Lincoln the hero. This first memorial to Lincoln, enshrining his birthplace in Hodgenville, Kentucky, was dedicated in 1911.