Abraham Lincoln’s
Birthday Celebration
Program - "Myths and Mysteries
of the Lincoln Assassination" with Dr. Blaine Houmes
State Historical Building
February 12, 2010
11 a.m - 1 p.m.
Ever since President Abraham Lincoln’s
assassination in 1865, questions, rumors and speculation
have surrounded the medical aspects of his death and
those connected with it. If the president had been
rushed to a modern-day emergency room, would he have
survived? Why wasn’t he returned to the White House to
die in his own bed? Did John Wilkes Booth actually
escape and live on for many years?
Blaine
Houmes, M.D., of Cedar Rapids, will address these and
many other questions surrounding Lincoln’s assassination
11 a.m.-1 p.m., Friday, Feb. 12, 2010, during a special
presentation at the State Historical Building, 600 E.
Locust Street in Des Moines. The event, sponsored by the
Iowa Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, is free
and open to the public. Call 515-281-5111 for more
information.
In his address, “Myths and Mysteries of
the Lincoln Assassination,” Houmes draws upon his
background in emergency medicine and his studies of the
Lincoln assassination from a medical point of view.
“My interest in Lincoln’s assassination
is largely by default,” Houmes said. “The medical
aspects of Lincoln’s life and health have always
intrigued me, as he had typical backwoods pioneer
origins and life risks. The assassination interest
evolved from frequent requests for information and
opinions.”
Fueling his interest in the topic is his
collection of Lincoln assassination artifacts, some of
which will be on display for one day only. Visitors will
see Lincoln “blood relics,” such as a blood-stained
shirt cuff worn by Lincoln to Ford’s Theatre where he
was shot, part of the farmhouse porch John Wilkes Booth
lay dying on, the veil Mary Todd Lincoln wore to the
theatre that evening and more.
“Like most collectors, these items were
obtained from a variety of sources: dealers, auctions,
eBay, family collections and ‘finds’ in antique shops,”
Houmes said. “They pop up in some really strange
places.”
In addition to Houmes’ presentation and
Lincoln artifacts on display, the event celebrating
Lincoln’s birthday will include live music, a chance to
tour the “Lincoln and Iowa” History on the Move mobile
museum, Civil War re-enactors, the Lincoln presenter
Stan DeHaan, a display of "Big Red," the Red Palmetto
flag from South Carolina, and light refreshments. Guests
are encouraged to bring their own lunch or order lunch
from Café Baratta’s.
