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A party for Mr. Lincoln on Feb. 11
Mount Pulaski Courthouse to celebrate Lincoln’s birthday with visit from his teacher
 

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[February 01, 2017]  MOUNT PULASKI - Mount Pulaski Courthouse State Historic Site will celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s birthday Feb. 11 with one of his favorite people and one of his favorite desserts.

The fun starts at noon, when Lincoln himself will greet visitors for crafts, games, a scavenger hunt and one of Lincoln’s favorite desserts – apple pie with rum sauce. Cookies will also be available.

Then Lincoln’s friend Mentor Graham will speak at 1:30. The New Salem school teacher helped young Lincoln learn skills that allowed him to become a surveyor, lawyer and ultimately president.

Graham will give visitors a taste of what it was like to learn in a “blab” school, where students noisily recited their lessons as a group. Children will also be invited to write with a quill pen and draw pictures on a slate just as students did in Lincoln’s time.

Lincoln will be portrayed by Joe Woodward, who specializes in interpreting Lincoln’s Illinois years, when he was a lawyer and politician who had not yet grown his famous beard.

Mentor Graham will be portrayed by Charles Starling, who has been interpreting Graham for nearly 30 years, including 20 years at Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site. He will be greeted by Mount Pulaski resident Jeane Duff Connolley, the real-life Graham’s great-great-granddaughter, and her two daughters.

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The apple pie is being donated by Hilltop Catering.

Mt. Pulaski Courthouse Foundation was established in 2011 to care for the building and plan special events. For more information, visit www.mtpulaskihistoriccourthouse.org.

The site is open noon-4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. There is no charge for admission.

The site is operated by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. IHPA protects the state’s historic resources, which contribute to education, culture and the economy. IHPA sites include ancient burial mounds, forts and buildings erected by settlers, and homes connected to famous Illinoisans.

[Shanta Thoele
Executive Secretary
Illinois Historic Preservation Agency]

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