Over the first few years of its existence, the town grew rapidly, but after the county seat was located in nearby Petersburg, the village began to shrink and by 1840, it was abandoned.

During his stay, Lincoln earned a living as a shopkeeper, soldier in the Black Hawk War, general store owner, postmaster, land surveyor, and rail splitter, as well as doing odd jobs around the village.

While living here, Lincoln ran for the Illinois General Assembly in 1832, handily winning his New Salem precinct but losing the countywide district election.

In addition to archeological investigations, much of the town was recreated based on period documents and the recollections and drawings of former residents, who had been interviewed in the late 19th century.

[8] Lincoln helped clear obstructions from the riverbanks on Talisman's trip upriver, and co-piloted the steamer with Rowan Herndon back to Beardstown.

[11] The steamer, christened Talisman, was a scaled-down representation of the previous vessel, at 40 tons and 73 feet in length, with an upper cabin and powered by a 60 bhp diesel engine.

[12] The recreation boat was given a landing next to the Rutledge Camron Saw and Grist Mill site on the riverbank, and tourists had the opportunity to take short excursions on the river.

[12] The boat was finally grounded a few miles upriver from the historical site, and then served as a large lawn decoration about a hundred feet from the riverbank.