Abraham Lincoln Rally Restaging

[February 16, 2008]  On Oct. 16, the city of Lincoln will step back in time to 1858. On that day, 150 years ago, Abraham Lincoln himself spoke to a crowd of 5,000 people assembled at a rally on the courthouse lawn. Delegations came from Bloomington, Atlanta, Mount Pulaski, Salt Creek, Lake Fork, Williamsville and Delavan. In the present day, the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission of Lincoln, Illinois, is planning a restaging of the rally, to take place on the west side of the Logan County Courthouse. Commission members are working from written histories of the rally and are researching what was said by Abraham Lincoln on that day.

Your help is needed to make the event happen. Volunteers will be needed for setting up the stage as well as for acting as period re-enactors in the crowd during the speech. The commission is also looking for horses, wagons and buggies to be present during the restaging. Each community in Logan County has been invited to select two junior or senior high school-aged girls to be a part of the restaging. For more information, please contact Wanda Lee Rohlfs, from Main Street Lincoln, at 217-732-2929.

This event is just one of many events to come during the year leading up to the bicentennial birthday of Abraham Lincoln. The Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau of Logan County is planning a re-enactment of the christening of Lincoln, which will be held at the depot on Aug. 27. More details concerning that event will be available soon.

[Text from file received from the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission of Lincoln, Illinois]