Mock rail fence

Abraham Lincoln was born Feb. 12, 1809. As a young man in the early 1800s, he and his friends hired themselves out to split logs into rails and built rail fences for his father and neighboring farmers in and around La Rue County, Kentucky. Lincoln's family moved to Decatur, Illinois, in 1830. Oak trees and cedar trees were preferred for making fence rails because of their durability, strength and straight grain of the wood. They used axes and wedges to split out the fence rails.

Pictured here is a mock rail fence that I built nine years ago. I used a chainsaw to cut manageable seven feet long limbs from trees I was cutting for firewood. My mock rail fence was much easier to make than the strong ones Abraham Lincoln and his friends made. Their rail fences were made to pen hogs, cattle and other farm animals. My fence was made for aesthetic appeal along an old road.

Abraham Lincoln's authentic rail fences could last about 10-15 years before rotting and needing replaced. My mock rail fence rotted away much quicker and was completely rotted away in six years.

I took the photo you see here on Jan. 7, 2010, one year after I built the fence. Today there is no evidence that it was ever there.

Nails and fence wire are not used in making a rail fence. It can be a lot of fun for children to help their parents make a mock rail fence for their backyard or along an old road or driveway. The fence is especially beautiful with snow on it.