NORMAL - Heartland Community College is marking Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday by offering a class that looks at his life, and his time in Central Illinois.

"It's timely, and it's of particular interest because students from our area can learn about his role in the history of our communities," said Allan Saaf, Heartland vice president of instruction.

Instructor Scott Rager's History 296, "The Life and Times of Abraham Lincoln," promises to do more than regurgitate the familiar legends and milestones of the nation's 16th president.

Lincoln's frontier experience in New Salem and America's pivotal Civil War years won't be ignored. But Rager - who sits on the McLean County Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission - aims to introduce his students to Lincoln's time in McLean County, as well. As a lawyer forging a political career, Lincoln spent a great deal of time here since Bloomington was the second largest city on the 8th Judicial Circuit.

"When most people think of Lincoln they think of the Springfield Lincoln and the President Lincoln. But there's more to it. His Illinois experience helped make him the right man at the right time for saving the nation," said Rager.

The class, which starts Aug. 19, meets Tuesday evenings. Rager said he hopes that time slot means both full-time Heartland students as well as interested adult community members can enroll.

Guy Fraker, a local attorney who has researched Lincoln's legal career and is slated as a guest speaker for the course, called Rager's class a golden opportunity for area residents to learn more about Lincoln's impact on Central Illinois history.

"The man that saved our nation was shaped here," said Fraker, noting Lincoln's strongest political supporters - David Davis, Jesse Fell, Leonard Sweat and Asahel Gridley - all formed strong friendships with the man, here in Bloomington. "That part of his life often is glossed over by national scholars. Sometimes it appears Lincoln's career sort of hatched in 1860," he said.

In 2011, Southern Illinois University Press will publish Fraker's book which focuses on Lincoln's time in Central Illinois.

To help his students better understand the importance of Lincoln and McLean County, Rager intends to take the group on a few local field trips - with likely stops in downtown Bloomington, such as the one-time site of Majors Hall where he gave his famous "Lost Speech." Many believe that speech was the catalyst for his national campaign for president. Around the corner, near the current site of La Bamba restaurant is the building that housed Kersey Fell's law office. Supposedly, it was here that Kersey's brother Jesse Fell persuaded Lincoln to run for president.

"He was the Great Emancipator and one of the most intriguing characters in American history.

"But there was a real transformation that took place for him here in Central Illinois - without this time, and some of his key supporters here like Fell, Davis and Gridley, Lincoln might not have become the person he did," said Rager.

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Abe Lincoln 101

Commemorating the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln, this Heartland Community College course introduces students to the Illinois experiences that shaped the 16th president, in particular his time in McLean County, and his key relationships with Bloomington-Normal leaders.

What: "The Life and Times of Abraham Lincoln"

Who: Scott Rager, who teaches history at Heartland, sits on the McLean County Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.

When: 6 to 9 p.m., Tuesdays, Aug. 19 through Dec. 9

Where: HCC main campus, Raab Road, Normal

Cost and deadlines: The three-credit course runs about $270, including tuition and fees. Heartland's open enrollment deadline is Friday. Enrollment will be accepted through Aug. 18, with a late penalty fee. For more information on how to enroll in the course, call (309) 268-8041.