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The statue dubbed ‘The Christening Lincoln’ was
sculpted by Edna Goodenough. It is on long-term loan and now serves
as the focal point of the south room of the Lincoln Depot where many
tourists and visitors will see it.
L to R: Tracy
Welch, Steve Aughenbaugh, Morgan Gleason, Kathy Horn, Marilyn Wheat
Joining in the event were Tourism Bureau members
Kathy Horn, Tracy Welch and Marilyn Wheat.
The bureau moved into the Lincoln Depot mid-2018 and the board
established a committee to work on furnishing the then empty
building, which began by creating a vision for how the spaces would
be used.
The office for tourism staff was established in the original ticket
room, leaving the south room with its amazing bay windowed area and
the north room, as blank canvases for the committee to work with.
From the beginning the committee determined the window area in the
south room would become a focal point for the entire area. They
wanted to put something there that would reflect the Lincoln
christening site that is marked on the property just a few feet to
the south of the building, close to Broadway Street.
Outside there is a marker that features a watermelon and signage
explaining that long before Abraham Lincoln made the decision to run
for President of the United States, he christened the city named for
him with the juice from a watermelon.
As discussions continued it was learned that the State Bank of
Lincoln was working to establish their Sangamon Street branch as a
drive up window service only. Inside that branch are a number of
Abraham Lincoln artworks, including the Goodenough statue of the
christening.
The bureau approached Aughenbaugh about borrowing the statue long
term for placement in the window. Aughenbaugh was in favor of the
idea and took it to his board to get their opinion. The State Bank
board was also in favor.
In preparation for the transfer on Friday, Aughenbaugh issued the
following written statement for media:
“I was approached a few months ago by the
folks at the Logan County Tourism Bureau asking me if the bank would
have an interest in loaning our Abraham Lincoln statue to them to be
put on display at the newly refurbished Lincoln Depot.
“Our Abe statue was located at our Sangamon Street branch, which is
now a drive up only facility, and it didn’t offer much opportunity
for people to see the statue.
“By relocating the statue to the Lincoln Depot we feel the new
location will provide greater access to the statue for all of Logan
County and our visitors to enjoy.”
The bureau and the bank worked for several weeks to establish a loan
agreement, assuring the ownership and the safe keeping of the statue
by the tourism bureau was properly defined. The platform was built
by local wood worker Jason Hoffman, and on Thursday, February 14th,
Abe was moved from his State Bank perch to the Lincoln Depot by Brad
Matthews and members of his crew.
Along with the statue came the watermelon Goodenough designed for
it, plus a molding of Abraham Lincoln’s hands, and metal plates
outlining the size of Mr. Lincoln’s feet. Currently the hands and
feet are on display with the statue, but the bureau plans to secure
those items in a location where that visitors can safely touch them
and compare themselves to Mr. Lincoln, an easy way to comprehend
just how tall and how large the 16th President actually was.
The statue is just one of many things that are in the depot. The
depot committee wanted the south building to be a place where
visitors to Lincoln and Logan County could come in and get a feel
for what can be found throughout the county from a tourism
perspective.
The first step was to establish information areas where visitors
could collect written guides and information about all that Logan
County has to offer. Four information kiosks were purchased from a
professional display company.
The kiosks have top portions that can hold large
posters. Gleason and Tourism Assistant Kaylee Kirby worked with
Lincoln Printers to design posters that would reflect specific
attractions within the county.
The committee also commissioned Jason Hoffman to
custom build four glass display cases. Each case will eventually
hold items that offer examples of what can be seen at various
locations throughout the county.
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To date, one case is filled with items on the history
of trains, on loan from the Logan County Genealogical and Historical
Society.
For the month of February the LCG&HS has also set up
a display in a second case that shows the beautiful, artistic
Valentines of the past. That display will be at the depot through
the rest of the month and is well worth stopping in to see.
Also in the south room are two additional special items. Stuart and
Linda Churchill donated an antique curio/china cabinet. Inside the
cabinet is an item provided by the LCG&HS. As many know, Lincoln
gave a very well attended speech in the town of Lincoln when he was
running for president. A few years ago, the LCG&HS worked to have a
statue created and established on the lawn of the Logan County
Courthouse.
As a part of their work, they commissioned sculptor David Seagraves
to do the final piece. Part of the fundraising effort included
creating 22 miniature sculptures that would be sold. Seagraves
presented to the LCGH&S a model of the statue made from clay. The
LCG&HS has now brought that statue to the Depot and it is on display
in the curio/china cabinet donated by the Churchill’s.
In the north room, the committee is working to establish the room as
a location for the community.
Also while working to determine how to address the room, the
committee knew that they wanted benches and a large screen
television. The television could be used to show slideshows of
events that happen on a routine basis in Logan County. It could also
be used for special meetings with a wi-fi connection for power-point
presentation, and could play movies or other videos.
The group learned that St. John’s United Church of Christ in Lincoln
was doing some work in their church sanctuary and as a result would
have some church pews that they might not be using. The church was
approached to see if they would want to sell some of those benches.
In the end the Tourism Bureau collected a number of benches from the
church in return for a cash donation. The benches are sound and
solid, and plans are underway to have them refinished in a wood
stain that will match the woodwork in the building.
The Lincoln Heritage Museum had a collection of
prints made from glass negatives of locations and people around the
city of Lincoln and beyond. Those prints on loan to the Tourism
Bureau now grace the walls of the north room.
While the committee and the tourism board still have a few more
projects in mind, purposeful design and use is coming along nicely.
This week the Bureau in partnership with the Lincoln
Family Theater, Postville Courthouse, and Lincoln Heritage Museum
provided a day in Lincoln with Lincoln Elementary, Olympia South
Junior High and New Holland Middletown School students on Friday.
The kids were the first official “tourists” to get to see the
Lincoln statue.
Today, Saturday, February 16th, there will be adult tours offered.
Those in attendance will then be the second group to get to see the
statue on display in its new surroundings.
For the students it was a great day, and they all appeared to enjoy
being a part of the event, and seeing the Lincoln statue. Look for
more details on the students visits in an accompanying story in
Lincoln Daily News.
[Nila Smith] |
