Gail Borden Library celebrates Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday

Elgin City Council member John Steffen prepares to deliver Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address at the Gail Borden library on February 12. Photo by Conor Clarke

Blythe Meyer
Staff Writer
The parking lots and side streets of Gail Borden Public Library were packed with cars on February 12 for the celebration of Abraham Lincoln's 200th Birthday. Adults and children swarmed the library's community rooms, which were combined to seat over 150 attendees.

The program began with Lincoln impersonator John Steffen of the Elgin City Council reading the famous Gettysburg Address, followed by a performance by the Elgin Children's Choir. A brass ensemble performed a piece, the ECC Chamber Choir and Elgin Children's Choir sang a stirring rendition of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and the program came to a close with the chorus and audience singing "Happy Birthday" to Lincoln.

Steffen gave a closing speech reminding everyone of why it is important to keep the memory of the 16th president alive and well.

"We recited the Gettysburg Address because we thought that what Lincoln brought out in that speech from the Declaration [of Independence] to his time was what we wanted to bring out from there to today: the proposition that all men are created equal," Steffen said.

When the program adjourned, birthday cake was served in the library's main lobby while all present communed in celebration of the life of Lincoln. Sarah Block, was a performing member of the Elgin Children’s Choir.

“I thought it was really exciting and the Lincoln impersonator [played] the character of Lincoln very well,” said Sarah, a seventh grader at Prairie Knolls Middle School.