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Lincoln's legacy, 200th birthday, honored at Miller Park event
By Edith Brady-Lunny
eblunny@pantagraph.com
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BLOOMINGTON -- The legacy of Abraham Lincoln came to life Saturday in Bloomington with words, music and dance reminiscent of the life of the nation’s 16th president. | Photo Gallery

The afternoon event at Miller Park Pavilion included music from the 33rd Illinois Volunteer Regiment Band and Civil War stories by Michael Lockett of Hudson.

The Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department sponsored the event to kick off a year of local activities celebrating Lincoln’s 200th birthday next year.

Lincoln’s strong historical ties to McLean County offer a unique opportunity to mark the former president’s birth, said Randy Ralston, facilities/aquatics manager for the park district.

“Any birthday is cause to celebrate, but the 200th is an especially special time to celebrate,” Ralston said.

Max and Donna Daniels portrayed Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln in a series of vignettes.

The scenes of the famous couple’s life reflected “more of the private side that shows their ups and downs as a family. It wasn’t all Ozzie and Harriett,” Max Daniels said.

The Danielses started their Lincoln drama team in 1994 after Max was asked to portray Lincoln in a play.

“What started as a part-time job has turned into a livelihood,” Max Daniels said. He estimated he and his wife will take the stage 200 times this year as the Lincolns.

Learning about Lincoln’s life has been a rewarding part of the Danielses’ work. The popular president’s attitude toward conflict stands out in Max Daniels’ mind.

“He wouldn’t allow the nation to be assaulted for any reason,” Max Daniels said.

Couples from the Peoria and Metamora Civil War Dance Society performed dance selections that would have been familiar to the Lincolns. With the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth approaching, the group expects to be booking more performances.

“We act like living history, showing people not only how they talked but how people moved in Lincoln’s time,” said Deans Myers, who helped form the group with Larry and Connie Wachtveitl.

Children who came to share Lincoln’s legacy were kept busy on the second floor of the pavilion with activities related to the president.



Abe Lincoln facts



-- Lincoln was the tallest president at 6 foot 4 inches.

-- He was the first president to wear a beard while in office.

-- Lincoln’s favorite sport was wrestling.

-- He was the only president to receive a patent, for a device to lift boats over shoals.

-- Lincoln is the president most frequently portrayed in films.

-- Lincoln worked as a deckhand on a Mississippi flatboat.

SOURCE: Various Lincoln-related Web sites

Take a look
Abe and Mary Todd Lincoln impersonator's Max and Donna Daniels, back center, of Wheaton, pose for a couple photos with a group of kids during Lincoln's 200th birthday party at Miller Park Pavillion in Bloomington, Illinois, Saturday afternoon (February 23, 2008). (Pantagraph/B Mosher)
Abe Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln impersonator's Max and Donna Daniels, of Wheaton, enjoy the sounds of the 33rd Illinios Volunteer Regiment Band during Lincoln's 200th birthday party at Miller Park Pavillion in Bloomington, Illinois, Saturday afternoon (February 23, 2008). (Pantagraph/B Mosher)
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Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

ah wrote on Feb 24, 2008 3:00 AM:

" wondered what all the cars were there for "
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