Nancy Hanks - a wrestler?

[Houmes]

I do not know how reliable this is, but Lincoln may have inherited his wrestling abilities from his mother. In a book titled "Reminiscences of the early bench and bar of Illinois" (published in 1879) Usher F. Linder wrote:

"Abraham Lincoln was born in Hardin county (now La' Rue), within ten miles of the place where I first saw the light, and a little over a month ahead of me. His mother, whose maiden name was Nancy Hanks, was said to be a very strong-minded woman, and one of the most athletic women in Kentucky. In a fair wrestle, she could throw most of the men who ever put her powers to the test. A reliable gentleman told me he heard the late Jack Thomas, clerk of the Grayson Court, say he had frequently wrestled with her, and she invariably laid him on his back. Lincoln himself was a man of great physical powers a perfect type of sinews and muscles wrapped around enormous bones."

I'm getting confused. First Nancy Hanks was alleged to be illegitimate. Then I've read where people thought Abraham was illegitimate. Now Thomas and his son Abraham--even his mother Nancy Hanks--were all supposed to have been wrestlers. There's a legend that Thomas once walked into the cabin and caught Nancy Hanks in flagrante delicto with another man. Were they just wrestling?

[L Verge]

Boy, this is getting as good as the French tabloids!

[Rob Wick]

There's a legend that Thomas once walked into the cabin and caught Nancy Hanks in flagrante delicto with another man. Were they just wrestling?

The problem was that she wanted two out of three falls. OK, I'm going back to Ida now.

Best
Rob

[Donna McCreary]

I have always liked the Linder book; it is full of colorful stories which help understand the names in our history books. Oh, I hope it is a reliable source!

Since Nancy "could throw most men who put her to the test," I have often wondered if she fell in love with Thomas because he was a man she could not throw.

[Vicky Reany Paulson]

There were 8 Nancy Hanks, including her Aunt, and a cousin's wife, so I think this wrestling thing is bogus. Don't go with Ida! Barton would be the closest to the correct genealogy. According to the Lincoln historians, oh whom I have emails to prove it, mine is the correct genealogy. I did it with only documents no grandma told me stuff!

[HerbS]

The WWE wrestling is fake! NCAA and Olympic is legit.I was thrown by Dan Gable at a coaches clinic after his Olympic win.He wanted to demonstrate the move he used on the Russian to win the Olympics.So-he picked me!

[Gene C]

Way to go Herb. I'm sure you could have thrown him, you were just being polite, and didn't want to embarrass him.
That's disappointing to hear that about the WWE (I was shocked to read Wikipedia confirms your statement) I sure hope American Ninja Warrier is the real thing.
http://tv.esquire.com/shows/american-ninja-warrior

[HerbS]

No- He was "the real deal"-Herb-But-thanks!

[Hess1865]

Haystacks Calhoun rules!!!!!!