Lincoln strives to keep Honest Abe's legacy alive

Excerpt taken from story originally published on February 11, 2017 in The Salina Journal. Full story found here.

For nearly three decades, the people of Lincoln have been doing their part to keep Honest Abe’s memory alive.

About 100 Lincoln impersonators, aficionados and just plain curious onlookers gathered Saturday at the Lincoln County Courthouse for the 27th annual Lincoln Reenactment.

“It got to the point where the people of Lincoln got to the point they forgot who they were named for,” said Marilyn Helmer, coordinator of the Lincoln Reenactment Committee, about how the event began. “There was a gap that needed filling.”

Jack Crispin, a retired Lincoln pharmacist and master of ceremonies for the program, said his interest in Lincoln and the Civil War was sparked by a visit to Gettysburg, Pa., when he was about 25 or 30 years old.

“Walking the Gettysburg battlefield lit a fire in me,” Crispin said.

Crispin said Helmer has been the guiding force that’s kept the event going strong over the years. But he also said there’s something about the Abraham Lincoln mystique.

“There’s something about Lincoln that strikes a chord with people,” Crispin said.