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Guests were greeted by Postville Site Director Denise
Martinek along with volunteers Diana and John Skelton.
Former site director Stu Churchill also paid a visit
along with Lincoln City Treasurer Chuck Conzo.
As a part of the celebration, cake, cupcakes and
punch were served to guests to enjoy as they listened to and visited
with Mike Anderson, the Dulcimer Guy from Jacksonville.
The Dulcimer is well established in American history
as having arrived in America in the late 1600’s, perhaps a product
of Germany. It was popularized by the citizens of the Appalachian
Mountain region as a ‘sing along” instrument. Anderson explained
that the dulcimer is a relatively easy instrument to learn, did not
require that the player be able to read music, but did require the
player have “an ear” for music. Anderson said that anyone who spent
30 minutes with the dulcimer would come to recognize notes and pick
out tunes and melodies without a whole lot of effort.
Anderson spent a lot of time talking with guests, who
asked questions not only about the instrument and its music, but
also about Anderson and his love for the dulcimer.
Anderson said that he had learned to play and had
also taught the dulcimer. He spoke about the children he had taught
and the performances they had given at places such as at a White Sox
baseball game, where they learned to play the Star-Spangled Banner
and performed it in center field in front of thousands of strangers.
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Guests enjoyed the history of dulcimer music and the
highs and lows in the history of the instrument. Anderson said the
popularity of the dulcimer died out with the industrial revolution
because that was when the world became noisy, and the quiet dulcimer
could not compete with the louder instruments such as the banjo.
It was then revived during the 1960s and 70s as an instrument of the
“hippies and beatniks.” Anderson talked about some of the people who
had made the instrument popular again.
As guests came and went, Anderson captured their attention with the
music he most enjoyed playing.
He also took the time to give a young visitor a
lesson, leading her through the playing of “Mary had a Little Lamb.”
VIDEO: Mike Anderson teaches a young guest
to play the dulcimer
In addition to Anderson, there were other attractions inside the
courthouse on Saturday.
A poster board cutout of Lincoln’s hat and beard
offered visitors an opportunity to mimic the great man while posing
for a picture beside a cardboard cutout of the same.
Martinek has expanded the gift shop area, and there
were a lot of trinkets and treasures guests could purchase to
remember their day at the courthouse.
In addition, guests could register to win a gift
basket that included gift items as well as tickets to the Lincoln
heritage Museum in town.
Throughout the first 90 minutes of the afternoon there was a good
turnout, with hopes that the rest of the afternoon would go equally
well.
The actual birth date of Abraham Lincoln is February 12th. While
most in Illinois will recognize this day, the federal holiday of
President’s Day will be Monday February 19th, to commemorate the
birth of the 16th president as well as the nation’s first president
George Washington.
[Nila Smith]
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