 Fraker has spent several years researching Abraham Lincoln's days
riding the judicial circuit and will speak about Lincoln's
experiences and how they shaped his political career. Between 1837
and 1860, Abraham Lincoln and other attorneys and court officers
visited courthouses in the 8th Judicial Circuit of central Illinois,
bringing legal services to far-flung rural communities. These annual
jaunts meant that Lincoln would be away from home from four to six
months each year, but they also provided willing audiences that
would serve him well in his political career.Fraker's book, "The
Eighth Judicial Circuit: Lincoln's Ladder to the Presidency," will
be published by Southern Illinois University Press next year. Fraker
was recently featured in the public television documentary "Lincoln:
Prelude to the Presidency."
The Oct. 18 program will include musical entertainment by Mark
Mathewson, and refreshments will be served after the program.
The New Salem Lincoln League is a not-for-profit organization
that supports Lincoln's New Salem Historic Site. The league provides
financial support for theatrical, musical, educational and other
cultural programs at Lincoln's New Salem.
Lincoln's New Salem
State Historic Site, administered by the
Illinois Historic
Preservation Agency, is a re-creation of the 1830s log village
where Abraham Lincoln lived for six years. It is located along Route
97 about two miles south of Petersburg and 20 miles northwest of
Springfield and is open Wednesday through Sunday for free public
tours.
[Text from file received from
the Illinois Historic
Preservation Agency] |
