Was Thomas Lincoln actually poor?

[PioneerLady]

Thomas Lincoln was quite prosperous in Indiana.

He bought 160 acres of land in 1816 on credit and put down a substantial amount when he claimed it at the federal land office in Vincennes, Indiana, in 1817. He eventually sold 80 acres back to the government in 1827 as part of a buy-back program due to the delinquencies the Panic of 1819 had caused. Thomas paid off his 80 acres in 1827 (I believe, might have been 1828; my memory is a bit sluggish tonight) and purchased 20 acres of cleared land from a neighbor around that time, too.

When Thomas sold his land in early 1830, he also sold off 100 heads of hog and 200-300 bushels of corn, among other things. We know he was paid throughout his years in Indiana for furniture and other carpentry works he created. There is a record of a $40 corner cabinet Thomas made for a neighbor, but I'm sure others paid him in goods or crops.

I'd say poor by today's standards, but in eyes of folks living around Thomas and Abraham during his Indiana years, I'd say they were doing just fine.

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Thomas did lose farms in Kentucky due to title disputes, both at Sinking Springs Farm and Knob Creek Farm. He was involved in a few lawsuits due to it. Abraham said that the primary reason the family moved to Indiana was so that Thomas could obtain a free and clear title on his land holdings. Indiana was part of a federal land program where land was bought on credit through the government. Indiana gained statehood in December 1816 and Thomas and his family moved to Indiana directly on the heels of statehood.