Lincoln's Michigan Visit

(Above) North Berrien Historical Museum Director Alex Gates introduces State Senator Tom George.

State Senator Tom George, MD discussed Lincoln's Michigan Visit at the North Berrien Historical Museum on April 21. The museum was filled to capacity with visitors eager to learn more about our 16th President. Lincoln's visit to Kalamazoo on August 27, 1856 was his only visit to Michigan. George gave an overview of the founding of the Michigan Republican Party and the anti-slave sentiment in the state before the Civil War. Lincoln came to Kalamazoo in 1856 to promote the Republican candidate for Governor, John C. Fremont. Through the use of original documents, George pieced together the 1856 rally through how it was remembered by those who were there over 150 years ago. Lincoln's appearance in Kalamazoo is not a footnote in history, but his speech presents his earliest views on slavery and the preservation of the Union.

Bainbridge & Pirates

News of pirates is the talk of the town recently. The USS Bainbridge recently rescued a captain taken captive by Somali Pirates. Yes, Bainbridge - the same as Bainbridge Township, Michigan here in North Berrien County. Captain William Bainbridge, namesake of both the USS Bainbridge and Bainbridge Township would be proud. He himself was famous for fighting piracy during the Barbary War (1801-1805).

Two Speakers to discuss Abraham Lincoln

Two scholars will discuss Abraham Lincoln at the North Berrien Historical Museum as part of the traveling exhibit Abraham Lincoln: Self-Made in America.

On Tuesday, April 21 at 7pm Senator Tom George will speak on Lincoln and his connections to Michigan. Representing the 20th District (Kalamazoo), Senator George is a past president of the Historical Society of Michigan and has written and produced television documentaries about Lincoln and Colonel Joseph Westnedge.

The following Thursday, April 23, at 7pm Dr. William Anderson will give a presentation titled “Lincoln: A Full Measure of Greatness.” Anderson is the chair of the Michigan Lincoln Bicentennial Committee and retired director of the Michigan Department of History, Arts, and Libraries. He is the author/editor of seven books including They Died for to Make Men Free: History of the 19th Michigan Infantry; We are Sherman’s Men: The Civil War Letters of Henry Orendorff; and The Detroit Tigers: A Pictorial Celebration of the Greatest Players and Moments in the Tigers’ History.

Abraham Lincoln: Self-Made in America is on display at the North Berrien Historical Museum through May 1. Extended hours for the exhibit are Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-6pm.

The traveling exhibit is being displayed in 40 public libraries and historical societies over the next two years. Coloma is the only Michigan stop for the nation-wide tour. “Abraham Lincoln: Self-Made in America” was created to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of American’s greatest president by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.
For more information about the “Abraham Lincoln: Self-Made in America” events visit www.NorthBerrienHistory.org or call the North Berrien Historical Museum at 269-468-3330.

Spring Break with Lincoln a Huge Success!

Spring Break with Lincoln was a great success at the North Berrien Historical Museum. 122 visitors from throughout Southwest Michigan enjoyed various activities around the museum on April 8 from 1-3pm. Highlights included meeting Abraham Lincoln, a Civil War Soldier, and a woman dressed for mourning. Participants also enjoyed period music and dance, learned to write with quil pens, and twisted twine into rope. Plans are already being made for next year's spring break activity!

Senator Jelinek Opens Lincoln Exhibit

State Senator Ron Jelinek opened Abraham Lincoln: Self-Made in America at the North Berrien Historical Museum on Friday, April 3, 2009. He spoke of the importance of Lincoln's self-made values in these current economic times. He was then followed by Conor Rockhill, winner of the Michigan State Seventh Grade American History Essay Competition.

The exhibit opening was a great success welcoming over 100 guests from throughout the region. The exhibit remains on view to the public through May 1. Tuesday-Saturday, 10am to 6pm.

Abraham Lincoln: Self-Made in America

A world-class traveling exhibit featuring reproduction artifacts from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois is coming to the North Berrien Historical Museum in Coloma, Michigan from April 3 – May 1, 2009. The exhibit opening will take place on Friday, April 3 from 5:30-7:30pm. The exhibit and accompanying events are free and open to the public.

The exhibit covers Lincoln’s childhood, his self-education, his careers as a surveyor and lawyer, his family life, the Lincoln-Douglas Debates, the 1860 Presidential election, the Civil War, the 13th Amendment, the Emancipation Proclamation, his assassination, and other important periods and events in his Life. The reproduction artifacts on display, all modeled from originals in the Presidential Library and Museum, include: Lincoln’s favorite books; the nameplate from his Springfield home; his stovepipe hat; an axe that Lincoln used to chop wood; the bloody gloves found in Lincoln’s pocket the night of his assassination; and many other unique and interesting items.

Numerous events and speakers are planned to accompany the exhibit. An all-ages Spring Break with Lincoln is planned for Wednesday, April 8 from 1-3. Lincoln documentaries will be shown every Saturday in April beginning at noon in the museum. Two respected Lincoln scholars will also give keynote addresses as part of the exhibit - State Senator Tom George on Tuesday, April 21 at 7pm, and Dr. Bill Anderson on Thursday, April 23 at 7pm.

Abraham Lincoln, the son of a subsistence farmer, came of age during a dramatic transformation in America’s economic life. Like many of his contemporaries, he embraced a new emphasis on personal initiative, risk-taking, and ambition. He was only 22 when he left his family home to find his own way. After enduring a series of personal failures in business, he became a prosperous attorney, devoted husband and father, successful politician, and finally, the 16th President of the United States. While Lincoln benefited from close association with a number of powerful friends, his own talents and ambitions combined with hard work and a dedication to self-improvement to produce a unique American specimen – the self-made man.

The traveling exhibit is being displayed in 40 public libraries and historical societies over the next two years. Coloma is the only Michigan stop for the nation-wide tour. “Abraham Lincoln: Self-Made in America” was created to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of American’s greatest president by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. The “We, the People” program of the National Endowment for the Humanities provided major financial support for the exhibition and accompanying programs. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation and the History Channel provided additional financial and in-kind support.

For more information about the “Abraham Lincoln: Self-Made in America” events visit www.NorthBerrienHistory.org or call the North Berrien Historical Museum at 269-468-3330.