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Drinkin' With Lincoln Episode 1: Fastest Lincoln In The West

Drinkin' with Lincoln Episode 1 - "Fastest Lincoln in the West" (February 19, 2019)

For our premiere episode, we are joined in DeKalb, Illinois, by full-time Lincoln presenter Kevin Wood. Kevin is also a running Lincoln. He runs races. In his Lincoln getup. Hat and all. And he is a multilingual Lincoln. He gives presentations in English and Spanish and translates Lincoln documents into French and German. He can recite the Gettysburg Address in all four languages.

I'm your host, Clint Cargile. In part one, I take Kevin to the site of Coltonville, a town that no longer exists. But according to local legend, Abraham Lincoln once stopped there during the Black Hawk War where the 23-year-old future president had a fateful meeting with his future nemesis, Jefferson Davis. Did this actually happen? We'll find out with the help of our experts, DeKalb County Historian Sue Breese and Dr. Jackie Hogan, Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at Bradley University, and author of Lincoln, Inc: Selling the Sixteenth President in Contemporary America.

Then Kevin and I visit the Forge Brewhouse in Sycamore where Kevin fills us in on his background, how he got started as Lincoln, and how portraying Lincoln has affected his family life. We also chat about his Lincoln voice, hat, and beard, and learn about the Association of Lincoln Presenters (ALP). You'll find all of that and more in this episode of Drinkin’ with Lincoln.

You can also listen to this episode at these podcast directories:

NPR

iTunes

Google Play

Stitcher

Spotify

Bonus Clips

Bonus Clip 1 - "Chief Shabbona Story" (February 19, 2019)

This is an anecdote from Lincoln Presenter Kevin Wood, in character as Lincoln, in which Chief Shabbona attends the first Lincoln-Douglas Debate at Ottawa, Illinois.

Bonus Clip 2 - "Lotta name callin'" (February 19, 2019)

Lincoln Presenter Kevin Wood, in character as Lincoln, shares some thoughts on the politics of his day. 

Show Notes

Lincoln Presenter:

Kevin Wood

Music:

Mana Kintorso (performed live on Sessions from Studio A)

Behind the Beard Location:

The Forge of Sycamore

Other Interviewees:

Sue Breese (DeKalb County Historian)

Jackie Hogan


Places Visited or Discussed:

Coltonville, IL

DeKalb, IL

Joiner History Room (DeKalb County Archives)

Metamora Courthouse

Northern Illinois University

Sycamore, IL

Topics Related to Lincoln Presenters:

The Association of Lincoln Presenters (ALP)

Laura F. Keyes (Mary Todd Lincoln Presenter)

John McMicking (Made Wood’s Lincoln Hat)

Historical Figures:

Barb Wire Barons (Joseph Glidden, Isaac Ellwood, and Jacob Haish)

Jefferson Davis

Zachary Taylor

Black Hawk

Cassius Clay

Lincoln Speeches:

Lincoln’s Lost Speech

The Gettysburg Address

Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address

Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address

Lincoln Sources Mentioned:

Elgin: Days Gone By (Author: E.C. Alft / Lincoln Section is in Chapter 16)

The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln

Miscellaneous:

Barbed Wire

Black Hawk War

The Lincoln Highway Association

The Lincoln Highway – A History

Lincoln’s Festival on Route 66

Copyright 2021 WNIJ Northern Public Radio. To see more, visit WNIJ Northern Public Radio.

Drinkin' With Lincoln Episode 1: Fastest Lincoln In The West

Kevin Wood at The Forge in Sycamore, Illinois
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Kevin Wood at The Forge in Sycamore, Illinois
Drinkin' With Lincoln Episode 1: Fastest Lincoln In The West

Kevin Wood preparing for a run
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WNIJ
Kevin Wood preparing for a run
Abraham Lincoln running in DeKalb, Illinois
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Abraham Lincoln running in DeKalb, Illinois
Here's to Drinkin' with Abraham Lincoln
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WNIJ
Here's to Drinkin' with Abraham Lincoln

Clint Cargile
Clint Cargile has worked as an English teacher, freelance writer, magazine editor, academic conference coordinator, landscaper, dish washer, car washer, dog washer, and veterinary assistant. He has a BA in English from the University of Alabama, an MFA in creative writing from Southern Illinois University, and an MA in history with a concentration in public history from Northern Illinois University. At WNIJ, he is the creator and host of the podcast Drinkin’ with Lincoln and creator and co-host of the series Curiosity in the Corn. He is the author of two history books, Five Mile Spur Line: A Railroad History of Sycamore, Illinois (2014) and In Search of a Fair Wind: The Sea Letters of Georgia Townsend Yates, 1891-1892 (2017). He lives with his wife and daughters in DeKalb, Illinois.
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