Collections!
Today, about a month and a half after I returned home from my Lincoln Trek, I finally got out a note to those kind individuals who offered to make contributions to the Abraham Lincoln Institute (ALI) based on how many miles I walked. The note reported my total mileage, walking and otherwise, and provided the address to which contributions can be sent. The text of my note appears at the end of this post; I am hoping that it might prompt others who stumble across it to make their own contribution to the ALI.
The ALI is a volunteer-run educational organization that presents programs dealing with the latest in Lincoln scholarship. I am the current president. Our next major event will be the 9th Annual Symposium on March 25, 2006 at the National Archives facility in College Park, MD. Speakers are Elizabeth Smith Brownstein, Daniel Farber, Barry Schwartz, Joshua Wolf Shenk, and Richard Striner. Registration information for this free event will soon be available at the ALI web site, www.lincoln-institute.org.
I realize that other demands on my time are making it increasingly unlikely that I will be able to post more details on my trek any time soon (although "hope springs eternal").
Herewith, the text of my note:
At long last, I am replying to you and others who so generously agreed to sponsor my efforts on my Lincoln Trek with a pledge to the Abraham Lincoln Institute (ALI). I dragged my feet, so to speak, on getting this note out because I had hoped to write a comprehensive article on the full journey and share it with you. There just hasn't been the time, and I don't want to delay any longer. Contributions to ALI are fully tax deductible and it may be your wish to make the contribution before the current year ends.
I walked 187 miles. This distance was less than my original expectation of 500 miles, but if you checked my blog you know that I early on changed my approach. Twenty miles a day with a 25+ pound backpack (affectionately known as Millstone) was more than I had the stamina to accomplish. It also was a plan that prevented me from going to any Lincoln site that wasn't on the most direct route. With a combination of walking, accepted rides and rented cars, I did in fact cover almost 1000 miles. I met many interesting people, saw firsthand numerous sites that were part of Lincoln's early life, and took more than 1200 digital photos. Four or five local newspapers reported on my journey through their region and an Illinois television station produced a two-minute segment for their local news program.
There were so many highlights and I still harbor some hope that I will find the time and inspiration to write about my journey. Spending a night in a Kentucky log cabin scant steps away from Lincoln's birthplace; crossing the rivers that separated Kentucky from Indiana and Indiana from Illinois; paying respects at the gravesites of Lincoln's parents and at Lincoln's tomb itself; meeting with the historical society in Greenup, IL; visiting the little known museum in Athens, IL that celebrates Lincoln's accomplishments in the state legislature; walking the Boy Scout trail from New Salem to Springfield on a brilliant fall day with the only sound that of the wind blowing through the dried corn stalks - these and many more memories of my four weeks on the road have enriched me far beyond anything I anticipated.
I am grateful for your willingness to support the ALI. You can fulfill your pledge by mailing a check to Dr. Donald Kennon, ALI Treasurer (c/o USCHS, 200 Maryland Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002-5796). Thank you.
The ALI is a volunteer-run educational organization that presents programs dealing with the latest in Lincoln scholarship. I am the current president. Our next major event will be the 9th Annual Symposium on March 25, 2006 at the National Archives facility in College Park, MD. Speakers are Elizabeth Smith Brownstein, Daniel Farber, Barry Schwartz, Joshua Wolf Shenk, and Richard Striner. Registration information for this free event will soon be available at the ALI web site, www.lincoln-institute.org.
I realize that other demands on my time are making it increasingly unlikely that I will be able to post more details on my trek any time soon (although "hope springs eternal").
Herewith, the text of my note:
At long last, I am replying to you and others who so generously agreed to sponsor my efforts on my Lincoln Trek with a pledge to the Abraham Lincoln Institute (ALI). I dragged my feet, so to speak, on getting this note out because I had hoped to write a comprehensive article on the full journey and share it with you. There just hasn't been the time, and I don't want to delay any longer. Contributions to ALI are fully tax deductible and it may be your wish to make the contribution before the current year ends.
I walked 187 miles. This distance was less than my original expectation of 500 miles, but if you checked my blog you know that I early on changed my approach. Twenty miles a day with a 25+ pound backpack (affectionately known as Millstone) was more than I had the stamina to accomplish. It also was a plan that prevented me from going to any Lincoln site that wasn't on the most direct route. With a combination of walking, accepted rides and rented cars, I did in fact cover almost 1000 miles. I met many interesting people, saw firsthand numerous sites that were part of Lincoln's early life, and took more than 1200 digital photos. Four or five local newspapers reported on my journey through their region and an Illinois television station produced a two-minute segment for their local news program.
There were so many highlights and I still harbor some hope that I will find the time and inspiration to write about my journey. Spending a night in a Kentucky log cabin scant steps away from Lincoln's birthplace; crossing the rivers that separated Kentucky from Indiana and Indiana from Illinois; paying respects at the gravesites of Lincoln's parents and at Lincoln's tomb itself; meeting with the historical society in Greenup, IL; visiting the little known museum in Athens, IL that celebrates Lincoln's accomplishments in the state legislature; walking the Boy Scout trail from New Salem to Springfield on a brilliant fall day with the only sound that of the wind blowing through the dried corn stalks - these and many more memories of my four weeks on the road have enriched me far beyond anything I anticipated.
I am grateful for your willingness to support the ALI. You can fulfill your pledge by mailing a check to Dr. Donald Kennon, ALI Treasurer (c/o USCHS, 200 Maryland Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002-5796). Thank you.
posted by Bob Willard @ 3:37 PM
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