Abraham Lincoln was an accomplished wrestler who was inducted into the Wrestling Hall of Fame with a near-perfect record. This is a composite of at least two different images and features a championship belt that belonged to WWE star Randy Orton: Did Abraham Lincoln win an Illinois County wrestling championship in 1830? Crowds gathered. Lincoln was nearly impossible to beat. Thereafter they became Lincoln's most loyal and enthusiastic admirers. Mayhaven Publishing, 1997. There is no question but that he was athleticthe result of years on the prairie tilling fields, cutting down trees and splitting rails, says Lincoln scholar and author Harold Holzer, co-chairman of the Lincoln Forum. WREST: Noto named MAC Freshman of the Year. Some accounts have Lincoln throwing Armstrong and winning the match; others say Lincoln lost; still others say they wrestled to a stalemate. ILLINOIS HISTORY RESEARCH TOOLS AND RESOURCES, 166 FULL ISSUES OF THE CHICAGOAN MAGAZINE (1926-1935), Indian Encampment at Lincoln Park Chicago; Centennial Anniversary 1903, Folklore from Adams County, Illinois. Lets shatter the myth of Lincoln as perpetually old, bearded, and soft-spoken once and for all. He holds dual bachelor's degrees from Pace University and a master's degree from New York University. Bringing it down with a thud, he asked if anyone else could equal the feat. While Lincoln was an autodidact who focused on reading as much as he could about both history and law, shopkeeper Denton Offutt thought Lincolns height more impressive and boasted about it to the customers. An image from the late nineteenth century depicting Abraham Lincoln grappling with local bully Jack Armstrong. As it turns out, Abraham Lincoln wasnt the only head of state with a respectable athletic past. My men raised another protest, but I again told them it was a fair down. Remember, though, wrestling in rural 19th century America didn't have the fluid grace of an Olympic contest, and it certainly wasn't the garish morality play of the WWE. Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com. Aware of his impending defeat, Armstrong tried to trip Lincoln who became so enraged by the petty move that he grabbed Armstrong by the neck and shook him like a rag. The aggravated Clarys Grove Boys began to move in, forcing Lincolns back to the wall of the general store. Lincoln was 51 in 1860 and the fact that he was playing handball at that age is a testament to his athleticism, which of course was even more evident in his younger years. And when his wrestling skills diminished, Lincolns leadership qualities emerged.. If any of you want to try it, come on and whet your horns!. Some versions of this story claim that Lincoln challenged each member of Armstrong's gang to individual fights after they attempted to interfere in the match before a clear winner was declared. Armstrong is referred to as the "champion" of his group of friends, the Clary's Grove Boys, in various accounts about this fight. The 16th president of the United States was skinny and lanky, standing six-foot-four-inches tall and weighing around 180lbs, but years of working manual labor as both a farmer in the Kentucky backwoods as well as a rail splitter helped forge a naturally strong specimen of a man who towered over any and all who stood beside him or dared to challenge him. But as to the question of whether he was ever inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, it would be a fun fact, if it was true. Public DomainAn 1860 Presidential campaign poster for Abraham Lincoln. Either way, he acquitted himself well, earning the respect of Armstrong and his followers and establishing himself high in the male hierarchy of the community. They did some grappling and twisting, but neither man could throw the other to the ground. ISBN 0156027526. Lincoln's wrestling exploits did not resemble modern-day professional wrestling, and he was not honored by the WWE. All Rights Reserved. This time, they seemed to have an advantageous effect. The gang would force any new settler into a barrel, nail it shut, and roll it down a hill. National Wrestling Hall of Fame 2d On October 4, 2021 at the Senior World Championships in Oslo, Norway, USA Wrestlng's Jordan Burroughs and Thomas Gilman win gold medals while J'den Cox. Mariner Books, 2002. With over 300 matches under his belt, Lincoln only lost one match in his career and was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1992. Standing at an impressive 6 feet, 4 inches tall, with lanky arms perfectly designed to tie his opponents in knots, Lincoln was a renowned grappler known for his peerless strength and keen mind in his teens and early 20s. Author and photo historian Bob Zeller is the co-founder and president of The Center for Civil War Photography. Of course, Lincolns wrestling exploits were not anything like the flamboyant professional wrestling we think of now, or even the organized athletics of high school or college wrestling, but regardless he was a man to be feared back in the day. After this wresting match Jack Armstrong and his crowd became the warmest friends and staunchest supporters of Mr. Lincoln, recalled New Salem resident Robert B. Rutledge. Suddenly, Lincolns reputation as a young, capable lad who mastered the art of wrestling was viewed as a sign of leadership. Lincoln however took all this in perfect good humor and by laughing and joking displayed such an excellent disposition that he at once won their hearts and was invited to become one of the company. He also liked to talk smack and once said to an entire crowd, "I'm the big buck of this lick. I'm an avid writer, music lover and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) enthusiast. While he was a part of the Illinois Volunteers during the. His abilities were formally recognized by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, which inducted him as an " Outstanding American " in the sport in 1992. In 12 years of wrestling, Abraham Lincoln was known to have lost only one match out of 300 on his way to being inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Shockingly, Lincoln for the first time in his career was thrown out of the ring and lost the match. > "I'm the big buck of this lick. The young 185-pounder eventually won Sangamon Countys wrestling championship. Five Bald Eagles land on 2021-22 All-MAC Wrestling Academic Team. There is no official record for all of Lincoln's wrestling matches, making it impossible to say how many he won, lost, or even participated in. Watch popular content from the following creators: HISTORY(@history), HISTORY(@history), Factual Facts Only(@factaulfacts), tanman5123(@real_tanman5123), Dr. Horrible Jr(@fenscrazyfacts), (@historyeverydayy), Mindblowing Facts (@theoryhub), Twenty 4 . data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAKAAAAB4CAYAAAB1ovlvAAADOUlEQVR4Xu3XQUpjYRCF0V9RcOIW3I8bEHSgBtyJ28kmsh5x4iQEB6/BWQ . ISBN 9781878044532. One of several United States Presidents who wrestled, Ulysses S. Grant's wrestling experience was informal like Abraham Lincoln. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has also honored other "Presidential Grapplers" such as George Washington, William Howard Taft, and Teddy Roosevelt. Your membership is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience. ", Touting just one loss among his 300 (or so) contests, Lincoln gained a reputation among the locals of New Salem, Illinois, as an elite fighter, eventually earning his county's wrestling championship. 307 votes, 57 comments. Guelzo, Allen. The townsfolk had grown tired of Jack Armstrong, leader of New Salems mischievous Clarys Grove Boys. The Lincoln Memorial is one of the most popular sites in Washington DC. Abraham Lincoln High School recognized the achievements of the 2018 Hall of Fame inductees at the schools annual banquet and induction ceremony on Thursday. Player Participation: Daily Limit: A wrestler may not wrestle in more than five (5) matches on any given day. This was a trick Lincoln performed on several occasions as President when, if you believe rumors and myths, he was fading, or even dying from an assortment of alleged diseases.. In any event, Lincoln was physically strong throughout his life, Holzer said. Here, the prominent local lawyer and rising politician, soon to become one of Americas greatest presidents, could set aside the rigors of work, let off some steam and trade some volleys in athletic competition. National Wrestling Hall of Fame's mission is to Preserve History, Recognize Excellence and Inspire Future Generations. 2002. You see, I had never been thrown, or dusted, as the phrase then was, and, I believe, Thompson said the same to the St. Clair boys, that they might bet their bottom dollar that he could down me. In fact, when Lincoln was reminiscing about his wrestling days on the campaign trail in 1860, he told Risdon Moore, a college professor whose father served with Lincoln during the Black Hawk War, that he was undefeated until he was thrown by a man named Lorenzo Dow Thompson: Gentleman, I felt of Mr. Thompson, the St. Clair champion, and told my boys I could throw him, and they could bet what they pleased. In fact, Lincoln had such a talent for grappling that he was eventually inducted into the wrestling Hall of Fame. When Offutt, enchanted with his new assistant, began boasting that Lincoln was not merely the smartest man in New Salem but also one of the strongest, the Clary's Gove boys called his bluff. Manage Settings But Lincoln was certainly the best of them all. By all accounts, Abraham Lincoln yes, the sixteenth President of the United States was indeed a skilled and accomplished wrestler. He was undoubtedly the roughest and toughest of all the wrestling presidents.. "If any of you want to try it, come on and whet your horns." My work began to help students, 6th to 12th grades, discover topics for their projects entered into their school's History Fair. FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. Hubbard, Charles. 303 Jefferson St., Waterloo, IA 50701 Phone: (319) 233-0745. The solemn, dignified leader who helped free the slaves and guide America through the Civil War is someone almost everyone learns about in grammar school. But he liked to play and did tolerably well.. We took our holds, his choice first, a side hold. The museum features a life-size mural of Abraham Lincoln as a wrestler. National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. Then, learn about Abraham Lincolns potential homosexuality. Those trinkets are all well and good, but the man is also memorialized in one of America's most prestigious institutions: He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1992. During Abraham Lincolns final year in Springfield, Illinois, in 1860, before he was elected America's 16th president, folks would sometimes observe him in shirtsleeves, engaged in a fast-paced game of Fives with other young men in a vacant lot just off the public square. The Digital Research Library of Illinois History Journal is RATED PG-13. Just how the match was fought, or even who exactly won, is probably unsure Armstrong later admitted "that he threw L. but did not do it fairly"); what does seem sure is that Lincoln came away with the admiration and probably the store business, of even New Salem's roughest lot and the lifelong loyalty of the Armstrongs. Co., 1999. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame is located in Stillwater, Okla. The title reads: The National Game. They cared not at all about Linconl's mental superiority, but they dared him to test his strength in a wrestling match with their champion, Jack Armstrong. Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years and the War Years. He stood 6'4 and in his youth weighed in at around 185 pounds. On. Another rumor is that Lincoln was a regionalchampion at 21: Abraham Lincoln, as a 21 year old in 1830, was the wrestling champion of his county in Illinois. Although the image include in this meme might suggest that Lincoln was a member of the WWE Wrestling Hall of Fame, that is not the case. None of them, however, quite matched Lincoln's mystique as a trash-talking, grappling frontiersman. National Wrestling Hall of FameThe Lincoln Lobby and mural at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Season Limitation: No student may participate in more than 45 matches prior to League-sponsored tournament. He joined the ranks of past presidents like George Washington, who was a skilled grappler and mastered the British collar and elbow style, and William Taft a two-time undergraduate champ at Yale. They were movers and shakers from the days gone by and the recent past. Confident in his skills, Armstrong agreed. Not only did Lincoln win the American Civil War, but according to historians, Honest Abe also won 299 out of 300 wrestling matches in 12 years. Inside Abraham Lincolns Surprising Career As A National Wrestling Champ. | America's shrine to the sport of wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's mission is to Preserve History, Recognize Excellence and Inspire Future Generations. I think realized from his grip for the first time that he was a powerful man and that i have no easy job. But Lincoln was certainly the best of them all. Another version of this story can be found in the biographyAbraham Lincoln: Redeemer President: When Offutt (Lincoln's boss at the time) began boasting that his new clear could whip any rough-houser in New Salem, several of them put their champion, Jack Armstrong, up to wrestle Lincoln. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Schultz found one story in the book "Joseph Smith. 2022 A&E Television Networks, LLC. Overview Map. You learn something new every day; what did you learn today? In the rough and ready style of the frontier, "catch as catch can" wrestling was more hand-to-hand combat than sport. The gang were known for their mean-spirited pranks, and would force any newcomer into a barrel, nail it shut, and roll it down a hill. Self-Professed 'Siberian Jesus' Arrested After Running A Cult For The Last 30 Years, 'I Am A Gaffe Machine': 30 Joe Biden Quotes That Prove Him Right, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. "The champion of the clan, Jack Armstrong was selected to wrestle with Lincoln and to show him that although six feet three he was no man at all compared with the Boys. It did not take Jack long to discover that he had got hold of the wrong customer; and when it was evident that Lincoln was getting the better of their champion the whole Band pitched in and gave Lincoln several blows which had no very salutary effect on the strength of his legs. The Many Faces of Lincoln: Selected Articles from the Lincoln Herald. Abraham Lincoln is honored in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. On April 22, 1832, Lincoln was thrown in two straight falls by Lorenzo Dow "Hank" Thompson during a wrestling match in Beardstown, Illinois.. Did Abe Lincoln play sports? Lincoln, however, never wrote or spoke about baseball and there is no documented record of him ever playing the game. We reached out to researchers at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation for more information; they told us that Lincoln was never an official county wrestling champion in Illinois, but for a very good reason: "County wrestling championships did not exist in Illinois in the 1830s.". No, this wrestling style was a pure test of strength, with combatants locking horns to prove their dominance in front of an audience mostly made up of drunks, gamblers, soldiers, or some combination of the three. RT @AndTartary: Abraham Lincoln Before Abraham Lincoln became a politician, he was a champion wrestler. Lincoln was neither the first nor last president to enjoy success in the wrestling arena. The best-known story about Lincoln and wrestling dates to 1830, shortly after he had moved to New Salem, Illinois. While accounts differ on the last moments of the fight, it's clear Lincoln had earned the respect of not only Jack Armstrong but the neighborhood as a whole. Lincoln was known to have spent some recreation time bowling ten pins, The sport began to take root in American in the early 19th century and was growing in popularity in the 1830s and 1840s, with the earliest indoor bowling lanes that still survive today dating to 1846. Here to contact us a hill wrestling championship grappling and twisting, but man. If you see something that does n't look right, click here to contact us are! York University they became Lincoln 's most loyal and enthusiastic admirers and is. Our sustainability and resilience shut, and roll it down a hill Jack. Countys wrestling championship rt @ AndTartary: Abraham Lincoln did some grappling twisting... Lincoln Lobby and mural at the National wrestling Hall of Fame inductees at the National wrestling Hall Fame. Any New settler into a barrel, nail it shut, and roll it down with a respectable athletic.... Young, capable lad who mastered the art of wrestling was viewed as a may! 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