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Dedication of first Ostendorf Abraham Lincoln sign
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[July 03, 2007]
During a trip to Gettysburg, Pa., historian
Paul Beaver had an inspiration. He noticed that the town had several
signs to explain local events and historic locations. Upon his
return home, Beaver set about to make it happen in Logan County.
Tuesday morning the first of these brand-new signs was placed on the
Sherwin-Williams building, at 523 Pulaski Street, a lot once owned
by Abraham Lincoln.
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The unique thing about these signs is that they will all feature a
color illustration produced by Lloyd Ostendorf, a well-known Lincoln
collector and illustrator from Dayton, Ohio. Lester O. Sheridan
contacted Ostendorf around 1971 and commissioned him to do a series
of illustrations depicting various activities of Abraham Lincoln in
Logan County. Eventually, around 30 different pictures were
produced, mostly in black and white. Enter Adam May, former
student of Paul Beaver and creator of AMP Studios in Lincoln. May
was able to use computer software to add color to Ostendorf's
black-and-white pictures. With this technology, the pictures on the
signs are bright and eye-catching, as well as informative.
Area residents, businesses or clubs will sponsor each of these
new Abraham Lincoln Ostendorf signs. For the first, Beaver
approached the Logan Railsplitting Association for sponsorship. The
group agreed and voted to sponsor the sign in memory of the late
Lester O. Sheridan. This sign shows Abraham Lincoln paying taxes on
his lot to the deputy county collector of taxes at the old Logan
County Courthouse.
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More signs are on the way in Logan County, as the city of Atlanta
is proceeding with the acquisition of four signs, which will deal
with Lincoln's involvement in that city. Also, Main Street Lincoln
director Wanda Rohlfs and Paul Beaver, chairman of Main Street's
Looking for Lincoln program, are working on a kiosk for the
courthouse square. The Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau of Logan
County has also approved signs at the Railsplitter covered wagon,
donated to the bureau by Larry Van Bibber, and at the Postville
well, where Lincoln drank water, across from Postville Courthouse.
Interest has also been expressed for placing signs at Postville
Courthouse and the Middletown Stagecoach Inn, as well as sites in
Mount Pulaski, Elkhart and other Lincoln sites around Logan County.
In all, about 30 sites are slated to have signs.
In addition, there will be a new brochure and audio CD on Logan
County Abraham Lincoln sites.
The project is a combined effort of area communities and
tourism-related entities.
Paul Beaver said, "For me personally, it has been a long struggle
to see these signs put in place, and it is now very nice to see the
very first one in place and in honor of a great friend, Les
Sheridan."
This year's Abraham Lincoln National Railsplitting Contest takes
place Sept. 14, 15 and 16.
[Text from news release received from
Abraham Lincoln Tourism
Bureau of Logan County] |
