Welcome to the Iowa Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. On April 20, 2007, Governor Chester J. Culver signed House File 826 establishing the Iowa Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission (IALBC). The IALBC is directed to plan, coordinate, and administer activities and programs relating to the commemoration of the bicentennial of the birth of President Abraham Lincoln.

On February 12, 2009, the nation will celebrate the 200th birthday of President Abraham Lincoln. The official bicentennial celebrations will run from February 12, 2008, to February 12, 2010. On a national level, the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission is planning several major initiatives, including:

• The rededication of the Lincoln Memorial

• The redesign of the Lincoln penny

• A televised Lincoln documentary

• A national traveling exhibition

• Educational materials for schools

In conjunction with these national activities, states and communities have been invited to plan their own celebrations. The IALBC on Feb. 11, 2008, marked the official kick-off of two years of events throughout the state commemorating President Lincoln’s life and legacy:

• A noon event in the Capitol Rotunda featured a reading of a proclamation signed by Governor Chet Culver, and a Civil War Musical Interlude followed by a costumed performance by Lincoln presenter, Stan De Haan.

• That evening, IALBC gave an overview of the Commission and announced the availability of community event endorsements at the State Historical Building. A Civil War Musical Interlude was followed by a costumed performance by Lincoln Presenter, Lee Williams.

Iowa’s announcement coincided with the National ALBC’s “Official Bicentennial Kickoff” inaugural events in Kentucky, where Lincoln was born Feb. 12, 1809, in a log cabin. All 50 states have joined the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission to hold events commemorating Lincoln’s life and legacy.

Please consider this as an invitation to get involvement in the Iowa observance and help preserve the legacy of our greatest president and educate Iowans about his remarkable achievements.

Please send your ideas, plans, and questions regarding the IABLC to Cyndi.Pederson@iowa.gov. We look forward to working with you to ensure that the national bicentennial celebration includes an Iowa commemorative of the accomplishments of President Abraham Lincoln.

On February 12, 2009, Iowans will unite to celebrate the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln. All states will honor him, but our citizens have a special kinship to Lincoln. Although he never lived in Iowa, he owned more land here than in any other state. He visited and spoke in Iowa several times, and later appointed one Iowan to his presidential cabinet and another to the United States Supreme Court. His oldest son, Robert Todd Lincoln, married the daughter of Senator James Harlan of Mount Pleasant, and spent many summers here with his family.

Abraham Lincoln had friends and political allies in Iowa. One of his most important trial cases involved a bridge at Davenport, gaining national prominence and setting legal precedence. During a visit to Council Bluffs in 1859, Lincoln stood on a bluff of the Missouri river and looked west, envisioning a great transcontinental railroad. As president, he signed this into law on July 1, 1862.

Bicentennial Kickoff
Take a look at pictures from our February 12, 2008
Bicentennial Kickoff.

Iowa - Lincoln Facts
Learn more about the connections between our 16th president and the Hawkeye State

• Bridge at Davenport, IA

• Visit to Council Bluffs, IA

• Harlan-Lincoln House in Mount Pleasant, IA

• Lincoln in Dubuque, IA

• Speech at Burlington, IA

• Lincoln's Iowa Land Holdings

Are you planning an event commemorating the bicentennial event? Click here to find out how to have your event endorsed.

Click HERE to see our current programs for upcoming events

Did You Know?

Click here to learn more fun Lincoln-Iowa fun facts

Lincoln Sites,
Click here to see photos of various Lincoln-related sites

GRANT INFORMATION

Iowa supported Abraham Lincoln during his two presidential campaigns, giving him a plurality of votes in each election. Half of all eligible men in the state would see military service during the Civil War, and his Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 echoed Iowa’s commitment to freedom for all. Brave Iowans volunteered to fight battles far away from home, for freedom. Because of Abraham Lincoln, Iowans fought not only for the Union, but for the rights of African-Americans.