Sharing History in the Chicago Area

Kate has several events coming up where she will be sharing her love for local history. On Saturday February 19 she will be attending the 9th Annual Children's Literature Breakfast hosted by Anderson's Bookshops as a guest Illinois author.

Held at the Abbington in Glen Ellyn, this event features a full breakfast, Illinois authors and illustrators, new award-winning and notable books, a book talk by Kathleen March and Jan Dundon, CPDU credits, raffles, door prizes, giveaways, book sales and guest authors. Featured authors include Al Yankovic, best known to millions as "Weird Al" (When I Grow Up), Tim Green (The Big Time: A Football Genius Novel), Kathryn Lasky (Shadow Wolf, Guardians of Ga'Hoole series), Mark Teague (Firehouse!, LaRue Across America) and Trent Reedy (Words in the Dust) .

On the following Saturday, February 26, Kate will be speaking at the Chicago Maritime Festival at the Chicago History Museum. When you think of pioneers, the picture that most of us conjure in our mind is a family in a covered wagon, but some of our earliest settlers arrived in Chicago via schooner across the Great Lakes. One famous settler, Joseph Naper, founder of Naperville, brought thirteen families aboard the Telegraph on his voyage to Fort Dearborn in 1831. Kate tells his story through the eyes of his niece in her book Ruth By Lake and Prairie and will share her research techniques and fascinating findings about some of our earliest settlers in this presentation.

Both of these events are open to the public. Please see their websites for ticket information, locations and times. Hope to see you at one or both!

Landlubbers, Escape to the Maritime Festival!

If you're in the Chicago area in February, turn your bow into the wind and sail on over to the annual Maritime Festival!

Held on Saturday, February 26 at the Chicago History Museum, the Maritime Festival celebrates the Great Lakes as well as the high seas. From 10:00 am until 4:30 pm, workshops, demonstrations, lectures and seminars are offered as well as displays of maritime art, knots, ships and lighthouses. In the evening, enjoy a concert featuring many celebrated maritime music professionals from all over the world singing new and traditional sea shanties.

Hands-on activities for kids like knot tying and boat building as well as performances for younger sailors take place throughout the day. Kate will be presenting "Thirteen Families West Across the Lakes," the story of how the schooner Telegraph brought pioneers to Illinois as told in her book Ruth by Lake and Prairie. You'll find her in the Guild Room at 12:15 pm.

Adult tickets are $14 for all daytime activities and the kids you bring who are 12 and under are admitted free. The evening concert tickets are $20, but if you order online before February 22, daytime activities are also included in the ticket price.

So pull up the anchor and set sail for a full day of nautical fun and history at the Chicago Maritime Festival in February! Hope to see you there!

Lincoln's Bicentennial Winding Down

Abraham Lincoln was born February 9, 1809, and the state of Illinois has been celebrating all year. Lincoln has always generated a lot of interest and will continue to do so, but the festivities for this his bicentennial year have been extra special. Before the birthday candles are completely blown out, here are a few celebrations you may have missed.

• Get Lincolnized! at the Chicago History Museum web site. Upload a photo of your face and they'll slap a beard and stovepipe hat on it so you'll look just like the President's twin. Silly, but fun. According to The Lincoln Log, Abraham started his political service today as he took his seat as one of 55 members of the Illinois House of Representatives in Vandalia. You can check what he was doing any day of year on this web site.

• President and Mrs. Lincoln have been seen all over Illinois. Kate's chatted with them herself at least twice at different venues. Max and Donna Daniels have been perfecting their reflection of the Lincolns for years, but they have been especially busy during 2009. If you haven't seen them in person, you can order a video of their most popular presentation "An Evening with Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln" at their web site which is creatively named AbeAndThebBabe.com.

Kate's "Six Degrees of Abraham Lincoln" book and presentation has also had a workout this year, but there are still dates available if your church or community group would like to commemorate Lincoln's 200th birthday with a fun and interesting program. Contact Kate for booking information.

Abraham Lincoln and Benito Juárez

Last time we mentioned that Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln would be greeting guests at the Chicago History Museum's member night. The presidential couple were quite sociable and pleasant during the event while members enjoyed a special preview of two new exhibits: "Abraham Lincoln Transformed" and "Benito Juárez and the Making of Modern Mexico."

While the Lincoln exhibit was an interesting continuation of their previous exhibit, learning about Juárez was more of an eye-opener. Juárez and Lincoln were both leaders of their countries at similar times in history. Yet being of the "land of Lincoln," we in Illinois know little of Juárez's life.

Kate's first book "Ruth by Lake and Prairie" tells the story of the settling of Naperville, Illinois. Joseph Naper, the founder, served in the Mexican - American War as a quarter master at the same time Juárez was fighting for leadership of his country. Too often we see history from only "our" side, whatever side that may be. It's always enlightening to get a more global view of world history.

If you are in Chicago, both exhibits are worth seeing and are available until April. For more information, see the Chicago History Museum website at www.ChicagoHistory.org.

An Evening with President and Mrs. Lincoln

Tonight President and Mrs. Lincoln will be welcoming Chicago History Museum members to a special viewing of a new exhibit called "Abraham Lincoln Transformed." At least, that's what the invitation said!

One of several Lincoln exhibits during this bicentennial year, "Abraham Lincoln Transformed" illustrates how Lincoln changed his mind about slavery from the moderate viewpoint of his early legal career to issuing the Emancipation Proclamation.

As a Chicago History Museum member, Kate is looking forward to rubbing elbows with President Lincoln!

Learn more about "Abraham Lincoln Transformed" at www.ChicagoHistory.org.