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Spencer County Indiana has Lincoln Bicentennial Fever and Wants You to Catch it!
Saluting Lincoln's Hoosier Roots - Lincoln Boyhood Home Celebration
The national bicentennial celebration of Lincoln's birth, coordinated by the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission and commissions in Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois and other states across the nation, may help bring Indiana's role into sharper focus, according to Frank J. Williams, chief justice of the Supreme Court of Rhode Island and a nationally recognized Lincoln scholar, author and lecturer. Click for Courier & Press article.Lincoln flatboat will launch Sept. 9
New Telling of Lincoln's Indiana Boyhood in Works for Ampitheatre
Artist Thomas Kennedy's Lincoln Ornament on Display in White House Blue Room
A hand painted Christmas ornament, by Thomas Kennedy representing Abraham Lincoln’s life in Indiana is prominently displayed on this year’s official White House Christmas Tree. The ornament, representing Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, located in Spencer County, Ind., is one of 391 on the tree, which celebrates the theme “Holiday in the National Parks.”
Artist Thomas Kennedy, of Rockport, designed and painted the ornament for Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial following suggestions from the park with four vignettes of the Lincoln story in Indiana. The four vignettes are: the Lincoln cabin, the Indiana sculpture from the Memorial Building, the tombstone from Nancy Hanks Lincoln’s grave, and a youthful Abraham Lincoln.
Photo of the Ornament painted by Thomas Kennedy
Kennedy attended the reception for the artists on Nov. 28 at the White House with his guest, Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction, Dr. Suellen K. Reed. Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial will host Indiana’s Lincoln Bicentennial Kick-off Event, a Mothers Day ceremony, on Sunday, May 11, 2008. Lincoln’s mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln is buried in a pioneer cemetery located on the Memorial grounds. For more information on this event and others near Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, visit www.ThinkLincoln.org.
Dr. Reed will host a reception for Tom on December 19th, 1:00pm at the Indianapolis State House where his original painting "The Life of Abraham Lincoln" will be unveiled. A bus will be leaving from Santa Claus that morning for area residents who wish to attend the reception. For more information on departure or to reserve a seat, contact Lorrie at the Lincolnland Economic Development office at 812-649-2119.
For more information on Thomas Kennedy, visit www.thomaskennedyart.com
Sodrel Co-Sponsors Bill Honoring Lincoln's 200th Birthday
Congressman Mike Sodrel (R-IN) announced he is cosponsoring a bill to honor President Abraham Lincoln's 200th Birthday. The bill, H.R. 2808, the Abraham Lincoln Commemorative Coin Act, currently has 139 co-sponsors in the House.
"Abraham Lincoln is one of Indiana's most honored and admired sons and is one of our nation's greatest leaders," Sodrel said. "I hope that the House acts quickly on this bill and that this coin inspires more Americans to learn more about our 16th President, his humble upbringing, and his life's accomplishments. I would also like to encourage those interested in the life of President Lincoln to come to Southern Indiana and visit his boyhood home in Spencer County."
The bill will require the United States Treasury to mint no more than 500,000 silver $1 coins in commemoration of Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday. The coins will be legal tender, but will carry a surcharge of $10 per coin as the coin will largely be collected and not circulated.
Though born in LaRue County, Kentucky and claimed by the State of Illinois, Abraham Lincoln spent 14 years of his life in Southern Indiana, spending his formative years in Spencer County. Sodrel represents the majority of Southern Indiana including Spencer County.
Historical Relationship to Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln spent his formative years (7-21) in Spencer County Indiana. He and his family moved to Indiana in 1816 and stayed until 1830, when they moved to Illinois. During this period, Lincoln grew physically and intellectually into a man. The people he knew here and the things he experienced had a profound influence on his life. His sense of honesty, his belief in the importance of education and learning, his respect for hard work, his compassion for his fellow man, and his moral convictions about right and wrong were all born and nurtured in Southwest Indiana.
The Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial preserves the site of the farm where Abraham Lincoln spent the 14 formative years of his life. This site is our country's most direct tie with that time of his life. The Lincoln Boyhood Memorial preserves this important place in the life of a true American Hero.
The Lincoln State Park & Col. Jones Home in Lincoln City, Indiana are important national monuments to Lincoln's life in Spencer County, Indiana. The 1,747 acre park was established in 1932 as a memorial to Nancy Hanks Lincoln. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was instrumental in establishing the recreational facilities now found in the park. The CCC was a national program designed to provide jobs for unemployed young men during the Great Depression. At Lincoln State Park, CCC crews built beautiful Lake Lincoln, Lakeside shelter, the boat rental building (formerly a ranger cabin) and many trails.
Sarah Lincoln Woods Nature Preserve is located in the southernmost portion of the park. A visit to Lincoln State Park is like taking a step back into time when the land was wild and Abe Lincoln was a boy.
The Colonel Jones Home in Gentryville preserves the historic home of the merchant employer of young Abraham Lincoln.
Spencer County events for the Lincoln Bicentennial
Planning has begun for the celebration of the Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration in Spencer County, Indiana. Following is a tentative schedule of events for 2008-2009. It is only the beginning. Please come back often as we update our countdown to our Lincoln events!
- May 11, 2008 (Sunday) Mother's Day
National Lincoln Bicentennial Commission in charge - August 16th with parade - Fireworks display
- August 16th, dinner w/ celebrities - Night of the Stars
- September 27-28, 2008 (Saturday-Sunday) Civil War Reenactment at the Colonel William Jones Site and program, reception, etc. at the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
- November 22, 2008 (Saturday) Pioneer Thanksgiving Dinner featuring Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation
- December 6-7, 2008(Saturday-Sunday);December13-14, 2008(Saturday-Sunday) Parades in Rockport and Santa Claus - tours of Lincoln Pioneer Village, etc.
- February 12, 2009(Thursday) Wreath laying ceremony at the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial-program and reception. National Lincoln Bicentennial Commission in charge
- August 12-16, 2009 (Wednesday-Sunday)
Parades, rafting contests, rail splitting contests, period clothes contests, choral productions, square dances, bicycle tours, 10 K runs, picnic lunches, etc.
About the Bicentennial Commission
The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission was created by Congress to inform the public about the impact Abraham Lincoln had on the development of our nation, and to find the best possible ways to honor his accomplishments. The President, the Senate and the House of Representatives appointed a fifteen-member commission to commemorate the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln and to emphasize the contribution of his thoughts and ideals to America and the world.
The official public Bicentennial Commemoration launches February 2008 and closes February 2010, with the climax of the Commemoration taking place on February 12, 2009, the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth.
Across the country communities, organizations and individuals have already begun to plan parades, museum exhibitions, performances, art installations and much more.
Additional Links for Bicentennial Information
For Spencer County's official site for the Lincoln Bicentennial, click here.
Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission (federal)
Indiana Lincoln Bicentennial Task Force
