Lecture On Abraham Lincoln and Ohio

On Saturday November 5, 2011, I had the privilege to speak about Abraham Lincoln to an enthusiastic audience at the Granville Public Library in Granville, Ohio. It was the fourth lecture I've presented about Abraham Lincoln over the past few months. The topic was Lincoln's many and varied ties to the Buckeye State. His two most powerful cabinet members, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton and Secretary of The Treasury, Salmon Chase, were Ohioans. Lincoln himself gave many speeches both prior to and after his election to the presidency. Several of the highest ranking generals in the American Civil War were Ohioans as well. And two of Lincoln's funerals were held here in April 1865.

Granville is about 30 miles due east of the state capital of Columbus and is one of the oldest towns in Ohio, founded just two years after the state achieved its statehood in 1805. It's also a college town, and is home to Denison University, founded in 1831. Granville is a lovely and historic village, founded by settlers who came from Granville, Massachusetts and Granby, Connecticut.

The person who invited me to speak at the library is Ms. Julia Walden, the Reference and Adult Librarian. She "found" me through my Twitter feed "Mr_Lincoln" in which I tweet facts and trivia about Abraham Lincoln. Ms. Walden graciously asked me to come speak to local Lincoln enthusiasts and helped me to select the "Lincoln And Ohio" topic. The library in Granville is apparently well-used and loved by the people there and I enjoyed visiting it. I also got to meet Mr. Dave Thomas from the Friends Of The Library organization. The photo I've included at the beginning of this post is of a statue in front of the library, showing an older boy reading to a young girl.

In addition to hosting me at the library, Ms. Walden and the staff were kind enough to arrange a night's lodging at the historic Buxton Inn, an easy walk from the library. The inn is one of the oldest still operating in Ohio, dating all the way back to 1812. It's supposedly one of the most haunted inns in America, but I can honestly say I didn't see or hear any ghosts that night, and neither did my wife. Instead, we found a wonderful room full of antiques, old prints, and beautiful furniture. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and I'd recommend it highly to anyone. Below is a photo of the inn.

All in all, it was a great experience. I love writing and speaking about Abraham Lincoln, with the goal of helping to educate others about his life and legacy. It was the first time I've lectured outside of my hometown area and I hope it's not my last opportunity to do so.

Thank you to the kind people of Granville, who made my first visit to your town so memorable and wonderful!