John Hanks

John Hanks (February 9, 1802 – 1889) was Abraham Lincoln's first cousin, once removed, his mother's cousin. He was the son of William,Nancy Hanks Lincoln's uncle. and grandson of Joseph Hanks.

John Hanks was born near Beardstown, and near the Falls at Rough Creek, in Nelson County, Kentucky on February 9, 1802. Four years later his family moved to Hardin County, Kentucky. Hanks married Susan Malinda Wilson in Kentucky in 1826. She was born on February 14, 1804 and died on March 11, 1863. Their children were William, Louis, Jane, Phelix, Emily, Mary Ellen and Levi.

Hanks lived in Indiana with Thomas Lincoln for four years from 1822 or 1823. While there, he and Abraham farmed corn and were hired out to split rails. He then traveled to Kentucky for a year or two. In 1828 settled in Macon County, Illinois after having built the first house in Decatur, Illinois. It was he who persuaded Thomas to move to Illinois in 1830.

He worked alongside Abraham at his first job after he left home. Hanks and Abraham together went to New Orleans in 1831, as hired hands on a flatboat owned by Denton Offutt, Lincoln (and his stepbrother John D. Johnston) being hired at Hanks' recommendation. Hanks claims that he initiated the first speech for Lincoln, believing that he would deliver a better speech than the candidate running for office. Having heard the speech, the candidate urged Lincoln to continue giving speeches.

Hanks served four or six months during the Black Hawk War of 1832, during which time he helped build a fort at Ottawa.

It was Hanks who accompanied Richard J. Oglesby to the old Lincoln farm and bring back the split fence rails for Lincoln's famous "rail splitter" campaign at the Republican Party convention at Decatur, Illinois, in 1860.

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