CURRENT EVENTS
State elected officials, public service executives,
community leaders, and Iowa Juneteenth Observance Committee Members, gathered in
Governor Chet Culver's office on June 18 to participate in a
proclamation-signing ceremony marking the end to slavery in America.
"Juneteenth" refers to June 19, 1865, when federal troops arrived in Galveston,
Texas to put down the last bastion of slavery in America, over 144 years ago. In
1990, the Connect Foundation organized the Iowa Juneteenth Observance, which
culminated in legislation, signed by Governor Tom Vilsack on April 11, 2002,
making Juneteenth a holiday in Iowa observed annually on the third Saturday of
June. The Iowa Juneteenth Observance will celebrate its 20th anniversary in
2010.
You can now view the
online display of
two Abraham Lincoln papers courtesy of the State Historical Society.
Lincoln Bicentennial Bike Tour
As an exciting component of our
nation’s 2009 celebration of the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, the
Lincoln Bicentennial Bike Tour (the “Tour de Lincoln”) will follow as closely as
possible the pioneering route followed by Abraham Lincoln from his birthplace in
Hodgenville, Kentucky to important sites in Springfield, Illinois.
Two organized bike tours, held in
2008 and 2009, will visit important Lincoln destinations and include talks and
demonstrations at these sites. Riders will gain a first-hand, up-close
acquaintance with important settings connected to Lincoln and midwest history.
This blend of education and on-site exploration makes the Lincoln Bicentennial
Bike Tour a great, once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Lincoln & Iowa Power Point Presentations
Jason Emerson’s
presentation on “The Madness of Mary Lincoln”
April 23, 2009
Mt. Pleasant Public Library
307 E. Monroe Street, Suite 101,
Mt. Pleasant, Iowa
The Salisbury
House will display an exhibit of President Abraham Lincoln documents from
March 1, 2009-December 31, 2009. For further information, please call
515-274-1777.
Cynthia Pederson will
be presented a History on the Move grant check from Union Pacific on March 24,
1:30, in the Kennedy Conference Room of the capitol. You are all
invited/encouraged to attend this presentation.
The Nodaway Valley Historical Museum will hold
its Reminisce Festival in Clarinda on June 20, 2009, on the museum’s campus. In
honor of the Lincoln bicentennial and to raise awareness of President Lincoln’s
contributions to our country, we are also hosting Scott Marcum of Blockton, IA,
who will be posting as Abraham Lincoln. He will recite excerpts from President
Lincoln’s speeches and will stroll the grounds conversing with visitors,
providing children and adults alike the opportunity to ask questions of Mr.
Lincoln.
