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 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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