Lincoln lore

If you're looking for the latest research about Abraham Lincoln and/or the Civil War, Illinois is the place to be this fall.

The Lincoln Home National Historic Site, Lincoln Studies Center at Knox College, Lincoln Museum in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and the Chicago Historical Society present the Eighteenth Annual Lincoln Colloquium, "Stand fast to the Union': Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War," on October 3 and 4, 2003, in downtown Springfield.

The Colloquium begins with a dramatic presentation on Friday evening, October 3, at 7 p.m. at Lincoln Home National Historic Site Visitor Center. "The Dark Days of 1864: How Long Must this Cruel War Go On?" is an original production dramatizing Abraham Lincoln's doubt and worry about the outcome of the Civil War during early 1864. The play is written and presented by renowned Lincoln presenter Fritz Klein and Connecticut actor Drew Gibson.

Saturdays Colloquium begins with an exhibit/sales area opening at 8:30 A.M. at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Springfield. The lectures start at 9 a.m. and feature Charles B. Dew, Charles R. Keller Professor of History at Williams College and author of Apostles of Disunion: Southern Secession Commissioners and the Causes of the Civil War; Jennifer Fleischner, Professor of English at Adelphi University and author of Mrs. Lincoln and Mrs. Keckly; The remarkable Story of the Friendship between a First Lady and a Former Slave; Cynthia Macleod, Superintendent of Richmond National Battlefield Park; Matthew Pinsker, visiting assistant professor of history at Dickinson College and author of Soldier's Home: Inside Lincoln's Presidential Sanctuary, and, Phillip Shaw Paludan, Chancellor Naomi B. Lynn Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies at the University of Illinois at Springfield and author of The Presidency of Abraham Lincoln. There will also be an update of the activities of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission and a presentation on the much anticipated Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. A tour of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library is also planned.

Those attending this year's Colloquium will have the opportunity to view exhibits provided by Lincoln organizations and collectors. An extensive selection of books, videos, and other items related to the nation's sixteenth president will be sold by Eastern National. For more information please contact Lincoln Home National Historic Site at 217-492-4241, ext. 241 or at tim_townsend@nps.gov.

Two other events take place Saturday evening, October 4, at Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site. The unveiling of the new "Lincoln Surveyor" statue will be followed by a candlelight tour of New Salem Village, along with a demonstration of historic land surveying techniques. Both events are free and open to the public. Additional support for the Eighteenth Annual Lincoln Colloquium is provided by the Sangamon County Historical Society, the Abraham Lincoln Association, the Illinois State Historical Society Eastern National, and the Lincoln Group of Illinois.

The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency's Conference on Illinois History takes place on October 9-10 in Springfield. The year's conference features papers on Illinois topics and several teacher workshops, including "Beyond the Textbook" and "Sundown Towns," both presented by James Loewen, author of Lies Across America: What Our Historic Markers and Monuments Get Wrong. Continuing Professional Development Units (CPDUs) will be offered to teachers who register and attend the conference. Preregistration is $40 ($15 for students), $45 for walk-in registrants. For more information about the conference, visit www.state.il.us.hpa/conference.htm.

The Decatur Public Library hosts the exhibit "Forever Free: Abraham Lincoln's Journey to Emancipation," from November 19, 2003 to January 9, 2004. The touring exhibit was organized by the Huntington Library, San Marino, California, and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, New York City, in cooperation with the American Library Association, with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The Chicago Historical Society hosts its seventh Annual Civil War History Day and Symposium on Saturday, September 27, from 9 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Get new insights into one of the most turbulent eras of our country's history at this series of lectures by some of the nation's most prominent historians. This year's symposium speakers include: Douglas D. Scott on battlefield archaeology; Professor John Y. Simon on the relationship between Lincoln and generals Grant and Halleck; Bruce Chadwick, author of The Reel Civil War, discussing popular films on the Civil War; John Broadwater on the recovery, preservation and historic interpretation of the USS Monitor; and Mark Grimsley presenting a overview of the Union Army's Virginia Campaign of 1864. Cost is $40; $30 for students, teachers, and Chicago Civil War Roundtable members. Boxed lunch available for $10 with advance registration. For information or registration, call 312-799-2271.

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