From Buffalo to Albany!

Lincoln and the National Park Service continue the journey east. After 8 days on the road, the team has delivered 15 programs in 11 cities to over 4300 people! Check out the event from Albany!
http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/150-years-later-Abe-remembered-in-Albany-1019242.php

Columbus crowds support Lincoln!

Abraham Lincoln and NPS staff speaking at the
Ohio Statehouse in Columbus

Day Four - February 14, 2011

Columbus, OH to Pittsburgh, PA

While thinking about the media and getting the word out about our programs, I began to think about how we communicate. What methods do we use to spread our messages? How do political leaders communicate their messages? What happens when the tools of mass communication are turned around toward politicians and celebrities?

Fame changes lives. In our world today, celebrities and politicians try to guard their privacy. Cameras, though, record nearly everything. Technology can send images around the world in an instant. Mass communication via television, the internet, twitter, facebook, cell phones, etc., has changed the way we keep up-to-date with one another.

Lincoln speaks at the Ohio Statehouse,
Columbus

But the world of 1861 was quite different. To be sure, the telegraph had transformed communications in the country. Messages could be quickly transmitted with this new technology. Most Americans, however, got their in-depth news through the newspapers.

And if you wanted to see a President of the United States (or president-elect) you had to seek him out. Photographs were reproduced as lithographs for newspapers. So people knew what the president looked like. There was no other way to hear his voice, however, other than seeing him in person.

In Cincinnati 150 years ago, for instance, the Lincoln family stayed in a fine hotel, the Burnet House. But even in the hotel the president-elect could not escape the curious and adoring crowds. Mr. Lincoln must have already felt like public property. Waves of admirers pressed around him. According to one account at the time, people were “throwing their arms around him, patting him on the back, and almost wrenching his arm off.” Another wrote that each man who greeted Lincoln believed it was “his duty to shake ‘Old Abe’s’ hand, as if it were a pump-handle.”

This morning, we drove to Indian Trail Elementary School in Canal Winchester, Ohio. The program was at 9:30 am. Beverly Downing is the wonderful principal there. She greeted us warmly at the front door. Beth Moore, a second grade teacher, was our contact. She had emailed Tim Good about setting up the program.

About 500 students, from grades one through four, gathered on the floor of the lunchroom/auditorium. Spirit Trickey spoke first. She’s wonderful with children. She asked them about her uniform. What was she? One child said a police officer another said something about “jungle” (I didn’t catch the words exactly—but I think the student was equating the uniform to some sort of wilderness ranger/game warden). The third student said, “park ranger.” Spirit got the students excited about meeting President Abraham Lincoln. So they cheered wildly when Fritz came through the curtains on the stage. Fritz’s program for the younger audience was quite different from our other programs. He told stories of Lincoln’s boyhood. In one, Lincoln returned a water-damaged book to a neighbor. To pay for the damage, Lincoln went to the farmer for several visits to do chores and other labor. The man who had loaned the book was at first upset, but seeing the effort of young Abraham, decided he would still loan books to Lincoln.

Fritz talked with the students about the importance of getting a good education, of never giving up, of achieving your dream, of treating people the way you want to be treated. Fritz is so animated and engaging as a speaker. The students kept their attention on him.Toward the end of the program, Fritz didn’t shy away from the serious topics of secession and slavery. He described these topics in words that children can understand. Like Lincoln 150 years ago, we proceeded from Columbus, OH, to Pittsburgh, PA. Lincoln’s train was pelted with rain most of the way between the two cities. Keeping in mind our journey in Lincoln’s footsteps, a cold drizzle fell on us part of the time in Pittsburgh.

Our evening event was held in the marvelous Soldiers and Sailors Museum. Built in honor of the areas Civil War veterans, the building has wonderful exhibits with fascinating artifacts that document the military service of area veterans throughout history.In the main hall, the complete Gettysburg Address is engraved on a large wall behind the stage. A balcony encircles three sides of the hall, which has a high ceiling. It’s a great venue!

Spirit and Fritz delivered excellent presentations once again. When Spirit said in her introduction that she was the daughter of one of the Little Rock Nine, you could see the audience react with nods and smiles. Fritz again quoted what Lincoln said 150 years ago. In Pittsburgh, Lincoln tried to reassure his listeners that the crisis of secession was an artificial one and that everyone should just calm down. “Notwithstanding the troubles across the river, there really is no crisis, springing from anything in the government itself. My advice, then, under such circumstances, is to keep cool. If the great American people will only keep their temper, on both sides of the line, the troubles will come to an end, and the question which now distracts the country will be settled just as surely as all other difficulties of like character which have originated in this government have been adjusted.”

About 120 people attended the program. The presentation included a spirited question and answer session with Mr. Lincoln (and Mr. Klein). Because it was Valentine’s Day, we wondered what the turn-out would be. After the program, I talked with a father and his four sons. It turns out, his wife was also there (she had stepped away for the moment). He convinced her that going to a program about Abraham Lincoln would be a great thing to do on Valentine’s Day! She agreed. The father said that they go to Lincoln sites when they can. In fact, one of the boys was wearing a Lincoln hat and beard that he got on a family vacation to Springfield, Illinois.

By Dave Schafer

Day Three - February 13, 2011

Cincinnati, OH to Columbus, OH

Before I talk about the events of today, I want to return to last night’s amazing program. You could sense the energy and enthusiasm in the crowd. The audience was moved. For a brief time, Cincinnati’s Civil War era past came back to life.

Last night, Bob Limoseth, the program’s moderator, opened the presentation with some powerful and relevant words. I’m going to share them now.

Mr. Limoseth:

“Good evening. Welcome to the Museum Center and the Cincinnati History Museum’s kick-off event in observance of the upcoming Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War. From April 12th of 2011 to April 9th of 2015, cities and towns across the country will be commemorating events and activities associated with America’s Great Civil War.

Lincoln "Fritz Klein" and the NPS team at the Indiana State Museum

“Now, I see a number of young people in our audience tonight and we are pleased you have come to see Mr. Lincoln. I want you to note, however, that I just used the word commemorate (which means remembrance or to mark by some ceremony) --- not celebration. We do not celebrate war and we do not celebrate an event in which 620,000 Americans, both north and south, lost their lives. In order to understand the magnitude of this tragedy, I’d like to put it in perspective for you. If 2% of today’s population was to be lost in war or some other great tragedy, as it was 150 years ago, it would amount to over 6,000,000 lost American lives.”

On this trip retracing Lincoln’s inaugural route, I have to admit that Tim, Fritz, Spirit, and I are having a lot of fun. It’s been tiring, but rewarding. We’ve had some long days and we check into a different hotel every night. But this is such a great opportunity for us. We get to share a window into the past with our audiences.

And we know we’re interpreting a dramatic time in history, a turning point that helped define us as a people, as a nation. A century-and-a-half ago Americans were on the brink of taking up arms against each other. Very few Americans could have imagined the destructive forces that were about to be unleashed.

When Fritz is quoting the words Lincoln used 150 years ago, there is often a hush that drapes over the audience. It is caused, I think, by the seriousness of the material. Secession, slavery, and possible civil war are weighty topics. Sometimes we can get caught up in the color, the personalities, the pageantry—the romanticism—of the Civil War era. But we should not forget the bitter divisiveness that led to the war and how the iron heel of war left its imprint on this nation ever since.

We drove to Columbus this morning so that Fritz Klein could speak on a morning talk show. Marshall McPeek of  WCMH-TV, Channel 4, interviewed Fritz. Marshall wanted to know what it is like for Fritz to portray Lincoln all these years and the research that Fritz has done. Fritz often points out, as he did on television today, that he has learned a great deal about how to be a better person by studying Lincoln.   

This afternoon’s event in the beautiful Ohio Statehouse was one of the most memorable I’ve ever seen. The audience, which included a fair number of kids, was spell-bound. They had over 600 in the immediate audience. Gregg Dodd, the Deputy Director of Communications, Marketing, and Events at the Ohio Statehouse, played a key in organizing the event. He said another 75 people were watching via closed circuit television system. They streamed the event live. There should be a video of it on this site tomorrow: www.ohiochannel.org . Being in the House chamber where Lincoln spoke 150 years before made it even more special.

As a prelude to the program at the Ohio Statehouse, Steve Ball sang Civil War songs while strumming a guitar. His stories and beautiful singing voice was a great way to set the mood for the event. Men and women in period clothing helped create ambiance, too. The 70th Ohio Volunteer Infantry Honor Guard brought in the colors. After the program, audience members could go the rotunda and pose for photographs with Fritz as the president-elect.

In February 1861, critics of Lincoln faulted him for his silence. Southerners were voting to secede from the Union and create a new country, the Confederate States of America. With this crisis dominating the news, why didn’t he speak out more? Mr. Lincoln addressed this topic in his speech to the joint meeting of the Ohio legislature. “Allusion has been made to the interest felt in relation to the policy of the new administration. In this I have received from some a degree of credit for having kept silence, and from others some deprecation. I still think that I was right. In the varying and repeatedly shifting scenes of the present, and without a precedent which could enable me to judge by the past, it has seemed fitting that before speaking upon the difficulties of the country, I should have gained a view of the whole field, to be sure, after all, being at liberty to modify and change the course of policy, as future events may make a change necessary.”

All in all, the event at the Ohio Statehouse was well planned and executed. I wish I could thank each person individually. But that isn’t possible. So thanks to everyone who made it possible!

By Dave Schafer

http://photos.indystar.com/galleries/11925-recreating-lincoln-s-journey



The National Park Service is recreating Abraham Lincoln's 1861 inaugural journey from Springfield, Illinois, to Washington, D.C., and the Indiana State Museum will be the first stop. .Nationally-renowned Lincoln re-enactor Fritz Klein returns as Lincoln and begins Saturday activities by addressing visitors at 10 a.m. in the museum's Great Hall. . Friday Feb. 12, 2010. Alan Petersime/The Star



Onward to Ohio!

http://www.ohiostatehouse.org/Multimedia/MediaLibrary/Media.aspx?fileId=128966

Abraham Lincoln (Fritz Klein) speaks at the Ohio Statehouse in Coulmbus, Feb. 13, 2011

Day Two - February 12, 2011

 By Dave Schafer, National Park Service

Today marks the anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s 202nd birthday. And yes, in honor of Lincoln we sang “Happy Birthday” in Indianapolis and ate birthday cake in Cincinnati.

We drove to the Indiana State Museum for the morning program. Spirit introduced Richard F. “Fritz” Klein as Abraham Lincoln. A group of re-enactors portrayed a color guard of the 19th U.S. Infantry, a unit which had been stationed in Indiana.

People love seeking out Abraham Lincoln. There’s something almost magical (mystical?) about it. In the museum cafeteria after the program, visitors swarmed Fritz Klein. Older couples, mothers with small children, young couples—they want to talk to Fritz and pose for photos. Fritz takes it all in good humor, much like Mr. Lincoln himself would have done.



In fact, Spirit talked with a mother who drove from her home in Michigan—five hours away—to be at the program. Her seven-year-old son is a big “Lincoln buff,” according to the mother. Another couple drove an hour-and-a-half to be at the event.

Photo by Alan Petersime/The Star

Everyone at our event locations has been great to work with along the route. Susannah Koerber, Vice President of Arts and Culture at the Indiana State Museum, organized the activities, which included a display of Civil War medicine. They had children’s activities, such as building things with Lincoln Logs and playing with Civil War soldiers. 

Fritz gave an outstanding program as Mr. Lincoln in the lobby of the Indiana State Museum. The audience numbered just over 100 people.

After his formal remarks, Mr. Lincoln took questions from the audience. He was asked, for instance, about how he would deal with the secession of several southern states. One little boy, perhaps three years old, said to Fritz that “I’m not very good at making pictures.” Then boy said slowly that he took one of him (Fritz) but that it turned out weird. Everyone laughed. Mr. Lincoln laughed the loudest.

We then drove from Indianapolis to Cincinnati.

Due to a very heavy turn-out, the Cincinnati program Friday night had to be given twice. The 300-seat theater filled up quickly—and nearly filled up for the second program nearly 90 minutes later. Plus, they had cake for Lincoln’s birthday.

Photo by Alan Petersime/The Star

Bob Limoseth, of the Cincinnati Civil War Round Table, played a key role in organizing the event (www.cincinnaticwrt.org). The Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal housed the event in a wonderful theater. Approximately 590 people watched the programs. The program featured people in living history clothing portraying the mayor in 1860, a historical narrator, and music by a German choir (in 1861, a German choir serenaded the president). The program closely followed the script of what was said 150 years ago—with lots of huzzahs from the audience. In fact, the audience gave President-elect Lincoln a standing ovation!

During Lincoln’s stop in Cincinnati 150 years ago, he was the center of attention. The city welcomed the president-elect with a parade. Mr. Lincoln rode in a carriage pulled by a team of six white horses.

At the Burnet Hotel on February 12, 1861, Mayor Richard M. Bishop introduced the president-elect to a large crowd. Speaking from a podium, Mr. Bishop said, “In the name of the people of all classes of my fellow citizens I extend you a cordial welcome . . . . it is the earnest and united desire of our citizens, that your administration of the General Government may be marked by wisdom, patriotism, and justice to all sections of the country . . . .”

Mr. Lincoln then spoke. “Mr. Mayor, ladies and gentlemen: Twenty-four hours ago, at the Capital of Indiana, I said to myself I have never seen so many people assembled in winter weather. I am no longer able to say that.” Lincoln referred to the current national crisis, but also looked to the future regarding the transfer of power to each newly elected president. “I hope that, although we have some threatening National difficulties now—I hope that while these free institutions shall continue to be in the enjoyment of millions of free people of the United States, we will see repeated every four years what we now witness. . . . I hope we shall see in the streets of Cincinnati—good old Cincinnati—for centuries to come, once every four years her people give such a reception as this to the constitutionally elected President of the United States.”

I interviewed an audience member afterward and asked him what he thought of the program. He said, “I really enjoyed it. It was really well done. Everything about it . . . the introductions and the people in character. . . . It almost felt like you were back in time.” I asked him if he learned something new. He replied, “I didn’t know they had such an involved train route [for Lincoln’s inaugural journey].”

People flock to Lincoln—hotel lobbies, parking garages, elevators, etc. It’s amazing. Today we got in an elevator in the Cincinnati hotel and a woman asked Mr. Lincoln, “Isn’t your birthday tomorrow?” “No,” he replied, “It’s today.” She then exclaimed: “happy birthday!”