Information For Those Who REVERE Our 16Th President, Abraham "Honest Abe" Lincoln.

Hodgenville Plans Celebration in Honor of Lincoln

Frankfort (May 15, 2008) – A community-wide celebration is planned for Hodgenville on Saturday, May 31, in conjunction with dedication and unveiling ceremonies of the Boy Lincoln sculpture.

The bronze sculpture was created as part of the Kentucky Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commemoration. It is being placed on the Hodgenville town square opposite an existing seated statue of President Abraham Lincoln, which was created by Adolph A. Weinman and dedicated on May 31, 1909.

The Boy Lincoln sculpture was designed by the Daub-Firmin-Hendrickson Group and depicts a young Lincoln leaning against an old tree trunk on his family farm near Hodgenville. He is reading a copy of Webster’s elementary spelling book, and has a linen satchel filled with ears of corn, a fishing pole, and his dog, “Honey,” sitting close by.

Unveiling and dedication exercises begin at 11 a.m., but related activities will last all day. Events are free and open to the public. They include:

* Flag raising ceremony at 8 a.m. on the town square
* The Making of The Boy Lincoln presentation by the sculptors
* Kentucky Lincoln Heritage Trail marker virtual unveiling
* Kentucky Chautauqua performances
* Children’s pioneer games at the Boyhood Home Knob Creek Farm
* Kentucky Historical Society’s HistoryMobile
* Viewing of the KET production, “Lincoln: I, too, am a Kentuckian”
* Exhibits at the Lincoln Museum
* Tours of the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site

“It’s a very exciting day in the history of our community,” said Hodgenville Mayor Terry Cruse. “It’s a history-making event and something that our community has looked forward to for some time. I want to invite everyone to come out and have a good time and enjoy the day.”

The Boy Lincoln sculpture was funded by the Kentucky Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission (KALBC) and the Kentucky Arts Council. The KALBC is administered by the Kentucky Historical Society.

For a complete calendar of Kentucky Lincoln-related events, visit www.kylincoln.org.

About Us

The Kentucky Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission (KALBC), including its administrative team at the Kentucky Historical Society and its Commerce Cabinet partners, has positioned Kentucky as a leader in the Lincoln Bicentennial scheduled for 2008-2010.

The mission of the KALBC is to commemorate, in conjunction with the National Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln, emphasizing Kentucky's contribution to his thoughts and ideals, and to serve as a coordinator of statewide efforts to convey Lincoln's Kentucky story and his legacy of freedom, democracy and equal opportunity for all. For more information about the Kentucky Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, visit www.kylincoln.org.