"General Grant" Will Speak at Mount Pulaski Courthouse at Lincoln's Birthday Party on Feb. 9

[February 08, 2019]   MOUNT PULASKI - On Saturday, February 9, 2019, the Mount Pulaski Courthouse State Historic Site will host a birthday party for Abraham Lincoln from 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m. Visitors will be greeted by Abraham Lincoln (portrayed by John Walther) and General Ulysses S. Grant (portrayed by Larry Werline).

At 1:00 p.m., General Grant will discuss his connections to Abraham Lincoln.

There will be refreshments available for visitors to enjoy during the Lincoln’s Birthday celebration. Treats will include apple pie with rum sauce donated by Hilltop Catering, and decorated cookies donated by Helen Schmidt. There will be a variety of activities for children of all ages, including tapping out the Morse Code to send messages like Lincoln did, writing with a quill pen, vintage games and stories (including the story of why Mr. Lincoln grew a beard), and a Lincoln trivia game.

Larry Werline, who lives in Chatham with his wife Rita, has been portraying Ulysses Grant for 20 years. He got his start at the Old State Capitol in Springfield, which is still his favorite place to perform as part of every summer's "History Comes Alive" series. Mr. Werline is retired from the Oracle Corporation.

John Walther of Bloomington, who will portray Abraham Lincoln, has retired from State Farm. He will be telling how Lincoln went from a beardless lawyer to a bearded President of the United States.

Visitors of all ages are invited to the free Lincoln’s Birthday event at the Mount Pulaski Courthouse, located at 113 S. Washington St. in Mount Pulaski. Attorney Abraham Lincoln regularly argued cases in the second-floor courtroom at the courthouse, which was built in 1848.

[Illinois Department of Natural Resources]