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"The Illinois Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission is planning
the biggest and most significant birthday party this state has ever
seen," Blagojevich said. "We want to give our 16th president the
celebration he deserves, and the best way to start is by funding
these projects throughout Illinois that keep Lincoln's legacy alive
for current and future generations." The Bicentennial Grant funds
are part of a fiscal 2007 appropriation requested by Blagojevich and
passed by the Illinois General Assembly. The grants were available
to organizations, museums, local communities, nonprofit institutions
and government agencies to support educational and interpretive
programs and special events related to Lincoln's Illinois heritage.
The grants were provided to a wide arena of applicants, from rural
communities to major metropolitan areas. A total of 34 requests for
more than $1.3 million were received by the April 30 application
deadline. The 14 projects to be funded are as follows:
-- The funds will provide interpretive
signs at nine sites with Lincoln and Civil War significance
around the greater Alton area, including the existing debate
site monument. Bicentennial Grant: $65,000.
-
"Lincoln Road
Scholars," Illinois Humanities Council -- This project will
produce a two-year, six-person roster of Lincoln-related
humanities programs that will be offered free of charge to
communities and nonprofit organizations that do not have
programming budgets or access to humanities scholars.
Bicentennial Grant: $40,082.
-
Black Metropolis
Convention & Tourism Council, Chicago -- Bicentennial funds
will help develop interpretive materials, street banners, an
online site and event programs to promote this area of Chicago
with its Lincoln-era history. Sites and history that will
benefit from the project include Camp Douglas and its role in
the Civil War, the Soldiers Home, Stephen A. Douglas Tomb,
Confederate Soldiers Mound, Douglas Elementary School, and
Griffin Funeral Home. Bicentennial Grant: $25,000.
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Vermilion County
Museum Society, Danville -- An exhibit will be developed
reflecting Lincoln's life in Vermilion County. The exhibit and
accompanying handbooks will be taken to all 47 private and
public schools and nine libraries in the county. While at the
libraries, the exhibit will be used as part of the summer
reading program. Bicentennial Grant: $1,500.
-
Lincoln Log
Courthouse, Decatur -- Major roof repairs will be made to
this historic landmark, the only log courthouse where Abraham
Lincoln practiced law as a young lawyer. The log building is
used for many interpretive and educational programs.
Bicentennial Grant: $11,000.
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Land of Lincoln
Statewide Read Program -- Patterned after the "citywide
reads" programs in Washington, D.C. and Chicago, this program
will encourage readers across the state, through their local
libraries, to read Richard Carwardine's book, "Lincoln: A Life
of Purpose and Power." A study guide pamphlet will be developed;
a list of Lincoln scholars who are willing to make local
presentations will be prepared; and readers will be encouraged
to visit the Illinois locations mentioned in the book. This
program is in cooperation with Northern Illinois University and
Illinois Library and Information Network. Bicentennial Grant:
$18,065.
-
Lincoln-Douglas
Debate site, Freeport
-- This debate site will be enhanced with 13 new wayside
exhibits, updated street and sidewalk paving, additional
lighting, benches, and landscaping. Bicentennial Grant: $20,000.
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Ravinia Music
Festival, Highland Park
-- The grant will support the nationwide commissioning of up
to 10 chamber music compositions, each embedded with or framed
by Lincoln's words. Ravinia Music Festival will have a
competition that will award commissions to the winners, with a
special emphasis on Illinois composers. Performances of the
pieces will be given by Ravinia's Steans Institute for Young
Artists alumni in schools and other public venues. Bicentennial
Grant: $70,000.
-
Lincoln-Douglas
Debate Site, Jonesboro -- With grant funds, statues of
Lincoln and Douglas will be created as the centerpiece of the
debate site to create interest and generate more funding for a
planned courtyard, interpretive signs, interpretive center and
more projects. Jonesboro is the only Lincoln-Douglas Debate
community without statues commemorating the debates.
Bicentennial Grant: $61,000.
-
Early American
Museum, Mahomet -- The museum will create a DVD of Lincoln's
life as an attorney traveling the 8th Judicial Circuit, focusing
specifically on Champaign County and east-central Illinois.
Copies of the DVD will be distributed to educators and visitors.
The grant will also help upgrade audiovisual equipment to show
the DVD in the museum. Bicentennial Grant: $9,700.
-
Menard County
Tourism Council -- The grant will fund a program to develop
interpretative signs and multimedia equipment to encourage
public visitation of Lincoln sites and other sites of historical
interest in Menard County. Bicentennial Grant: $26,500.
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Lincoln-Douglas
Debate site, Quincy -- Quincy will use the grant to improve
the site of the sixth debate. A raised limestone base will be
added to the existing monument; an interpretive plaque will be
created; and new illuminated flagpoles bearing the 1858 U.S.
flag will be installed. Bicentennial Grant: $50,000.
-
"Prairie Fire"
program, WILL-TV -- The public television station will
produce a series on Lincoln's life as an 1850s attorney on the
8th Judicial Circuit, featuring re-enactments and interviews
with historians. WILL-TV's audience includes the cities of
Decatur, Champaign-Urbana, Springfield, Charleston, Mattoon,
Bloomington-Normal and Danville. The features will also be
distributed to a national PBS audience. Bicentennial Grant:
$40,000.
-
Evans Public
Library District, Vandalia -- A project is under way to
create children's educational kits emphasizing the period that
Lincoln served in the Illinois State Legislature in Vandalia.
The grant will expand that project to produce additional
third-and fourth-grade educational kits that will be available
to public and school libraries through interlibrary loan.
Bicentennial Grant: $2,200.
The Illinois Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, formed by
Blagojevich in February 2006, is working closely with the Illinois
Historic Preservation Agency, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential
Library and Museum, tourism agencies, and many other institutions
and organizations to organize events and programming beginning in
2008. The commission is also partnering with local communities on
their bicentennial plans. For more information, visit
www.lincoln200.net.
Contact information:
Illinois Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission
112 N. Sixth St.
Springfield, IL 62701
217-558-9025
www.lincoln200.net
[Text
from Illinois Abraham Lincoln
Bicentennial Commission news release received from the
Illinois Office of Communication and Information] |
