OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
ROD R. BLAGOJEVICH – GOVERNOR
June 5, 2007
Gov. Blagojevich announces more than $440,000 in Lincoln Bicentennial grants awarded to Illinois projects
Funds will help with statewide celebration of 16th President’s 200th Birthday
SPRINGFIELD – Governor Rod Blagojevich today announced the Illinois Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission has awarded more than $440,000 to 14 projects that will help the state prepare to celebrate Lincoln’s 200th Birthday in February 2009. Commission Chair Marilyn Kushak announced the grant awards today on behalf of Gov. Blagojevich at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield.
“The Illinois Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission is planning the biggest and most significant birthday party this state has ever seen. We want to give our 16th President the celebration he deserves, and the best way to start is by funding these projects throughout Illinois that keep Lincoln’s legacy alive for current and future generations,” said Gov. Blagojevich.
The Bicentennial Grant funds are part of a Fiscal Year 2007 appropriation requested by Gov. Blagojevich and passed by the Illinois General Assembly. The grants were available to organizations, museums, local communities, nonprofit institutions, and government agencies to support educational and interpretive programs and special events related to Lincoln’s Illinois heritage. The grants were provided to a wide arena of applicants, from rural communities to major metropolitan areas. A total of 34 requests for more than $1.3 million were received by the April 30, 2007 application deadline. The 14 projects to be funded include:
Lincoln-Douglas Debate Site, Alton
The funds will provide interpretive signs at nine sites with Lincoln and Civil War significance around the greater Alton area, including the existing Debate site monument. Bicentennial Grant: $65,000.
“Lincoln Road Scholars,” Illinois Humanities Council
This project will produce a two-year, six-person roster of Lincoln-related humanities programs that will be offered, free of charge, to communities and nonprofit organizations that do not have programming budgets or access to humanities scholars. Bicentennial Grant: $40,082.
Black Metropolis Convention & Tourism Council, Chicago
The Bicentennial funds will help develop interpretive materials, street banners, a website, and event programs to promote this area of Chicago with its Lincoln-era history. Sites and history that will benefit from the project include Camp Douglas and its role in the Civil War, the Soldiers Home, Stephen A. Douglas Tomb, Confederate Soldiers Mound, Douglas Elementary School, and Griffin Funeral Home. Bicentennial Grant: $25,000.
Vermilion County Museum Society, Danville
An exhibit will be developed reflecting Lincoln’s life in Vermilion County. The exhibit and accompanying handbooks will be taken to all 47 private and public schools and nine libraries in the county. While at the libraries, it will be utilized as part of the summer reading program. Bicentennial Grant: $1,500.
Lincoln Log Courthouse, Decatur
Major roof repairs will be made to this historic landmark, the only log courthouse where Abraham Lincoln practiced law as a young lawyer. The log building is used for many interpretive and educational programs. Bicentennial Grant: $11,000.
Land of Lincoln Statewide Read Program
Patterned after the “city wide reads” programs in Washington, D.C. and Chicago, this program will encourage readers across the state, through their local libraries, to read Richard Carwardine’s book, Lincoln: A Life of Purpose and Power. A study guide pamphlet will be developed, a list of Lincoln scholars who are willing to make local presentations will be prepared, and readers will be encouraged to visit the Illinois locations mentioned in the book. This program is in cooperation with Northern Illinois University and Illinois Library and Information Network. Bicentennial Grant: $18,065.
Lincoln-Douglas Debate Site, Freeport
This Debate site will be enhanced with 13 new wayside exhibits, updated street and sidewalk paving, additional lighting, benches, and landscaping. Bicentennial Grant: $20,000.
Ravinia Music Festival, Highland Park
The grant will support the nationwide commissioning of up to ten chamber music compositions, each embedded with or framed by Lincoln’s words. Ravinia Festival will hold a competition that will award commissions to the winners with a special emphasis on Illinois composers. Performances of the pieces will be given by Ravinia’s Steans Institute for Young Artists alumni in schools and other public venues. Bicentennial Grant: $70,000.
Lincoln-Douglas Debate Site, Jonesboro
Statues of Lincoln and Douglas will be created with the grant funds as the centerpiece of the Debate site to create interest and generate more funding for a planned courtyard, interpretive signs, interpretive center, and more projects. Jonesboro is the only Lincoln-Douglas Debate community without statues commemorating the Debates. Bicentennial Grant: $61,000.
Early American Museum, Mahomet
The museum will create a DVD of Lincoln’s life as an attorney traveling the Eighth Judicial Circuit, focusing specifically on Champaign County and east central Illinois. Copies of the DVD will be distributed to educators and visitors. The grant will also help upgrade audio-visual equipment to show the DVD in the museum. Bicentennial Grant: $9,700.
Menard County Tourism Council
The grant will fund a program to develop interpretative signs and multi-media equipment to encourage public visitation of Menard County’s Lincoln and other historical sites. Bicentennial Grant: $26,500.
Lincoln-Douglas Debate Site, Quincy
Quincy will use the grant to improve the site of the sixth Debate. A raised limestone base will be added to the existing monument, an interpretive plaque will be created, and new illuminated flagpoles bearing the 1858 U.S. flag will be installed. Bicentennial Grant: $50,000.
“Prairie Fire” program, WILL-TV
The public television station will produce a series on Lincoln’s life as an 1850s attorney on the Eighth Judicial Circuit, featuring re-enactments and interviews with historians. WILL-TV’s audience includes the cities of Decatur, Champaign-Urbana, Springfield, Charleston, Mattoon, Bloomington-Normal, and Danville. The features will also be distributed to a national PBS audience. Bicentennial Grant: $40,000.
Evans Public Library District, Vandalia
A project is underway to create educational kits for children emphasizing the period that Lincoln served in the Illinois State Legislature in Vandalia. The grant will expand that project to produce additional third and fourth grade educational kits that will be available to public and school libraries through interlibrary loan. Bicentennial Grant: $2,200.
The Illinois Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, formed by Gov. Blagojevich in February 2006, is working closely with the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, tourism agencies and many other institutions and organizations to organize events and programming beginning in 2008. The commission is also partnering with local communities on their bicentennial plans. For more information, visit www.lincoln200.net.
Illinois Celebrating Lincoln’s 200th Birthday
Illinois Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission
112 North Sixth Street
Springfield, Illinois 62701
(217) 558-9025
