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Kalamazoo celebrates anniversary of Lincoln visit

Aug. 9, 2006

KALAMAZOO--Kalamazoo is celebrating the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's Aug. 27, 1856, speech in the city's Bronson Park. It was Lincoln's only public appearance in Michigan. He visited Kalamazoo to speak at a rally for John C. Fremont, the first presidential nominee of the newly formed Republican Party.

A series of events celebrating the anniversary will be held Monday through Sunday, Aug. 21-27, at the Kalamazoo Public Library, Kalamazoo Valley Museum and Bronson Park. Among the half-dozen events planned for the actual anniversary, Sunday, Aug. 27, are a full reenactment of Lincoln's 1856 speech and a dedication of the newly restored "Lincoln at Kalamazoo" Michigan Historical Marker. Both of those events, as well as live band music and other activities, will take place in Bronson Park.

The Kalamazoo Public Library has created a Lincoln in Kalamazoo Web page with listings for most of the week's activities and links to additional information, including the actual text of Lincoln's Kalamazoo speech. Additional event listings are available in Michigan History online.

For more information, contact the Kalamazoo Public Library at (269) 342-9837 or write to Marti Fritz at marti@kpl.gov.

Media contact: Thom Myers, (269) 387-8400, thom.myers@wmich.edu

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