Honest Abe Visits Peekskill

Peekskill's residents, dedication to and efforts to preserve history won national recognition on Saturday for its dynamic Lincoln parade and event that drew hundreds of spectators. Saturday’s parade and event helped cement the city's reputation as a regional center of learning and inspiration, says the Peekskill Lincoln Society.

The Lincoln Society of Peekskill and the National Parks Service teamed up to stage the event, which was part of the Park's Service's recreation of Lincoln's inaugural trip from Springfield, IL to Washington, DC.

Renown Lincoln re-enactor Fritz Klein “arrived” at the Peekskill Metro North Station at 11 a.m. on Saturday to pay tribute to President Abraham Lincoln's stop at the city exactly 150 years ago.

Braving a sharp chill and fierce winds, Klein, scores of Civil War re-enactors and hundreds of spectators marched from the train station to the Lincoln Depot Museum at the intersection of Center and South Water Streets.

Boy Scout Troop No. 164 from Yorktown, led the Presentation of Colors for the parade. Once the crowd reached the the depot a wreath laying and other traditional ceremonies were performed in Lincoln's honor. At the station, numerous local dignitaries spoke and Klein gave a passionate, moving rendition of the brief speech Lincoln made during his quick visit.

National Parks service Superintendent Timothy Good, who managed the event, said he was deeply impressed by the City of Peekskill and its historic preservation efforts.

“I'm so impressed, both with the site and with the crowd we had in Peekskill,” Good said. “When I was in Albany last night and I heard the wind advisory, I thought we'd have 20 or 30 people to arrive, but, as you can see, we literally had hundreds of people come out to commemorate the event. That speaks so well for the community of Peekskill, for its interest in the history of the United States, and especially for its interest in Abraham Lincoln.”

He was also very impressed by the Lincoln Depot Museum. “I wish every community that was on the inaugural route would go to the extent that Peekskill has to preserve, save and interpret a magnificent structure like this,” Good said. “My hat's off to Peekskill. They really have set the bar high in the way that they've preserved this building and in raising money to actually turn this into an interpretive center.”

Later that evening, the Lincoln Society of Peekskill celebrated its 107th Anniversary with a dinner event featuring noted Professor Eric Foner, who recently won the prestigious $50,000 Lincoln Prize. Referring to accusations that he was not a suitable speaker for the event, Foner said “I'm happy that the Lincoln Society still believes in freedom of speech, something that in 2011 we should not have to be defending in the United States of America,"  as he complemented the organization on its dedication to truth and open discourse.

At the end of his talk, Foner was presented with the Society's Lincoln Legacy Award. He appreciated both the award and the Society's work. “Thanks to societies like this, there are many people who are keeping alive the memory of the real Lincoln—a really great man who grew into greatness—and, that, I think, is the interesting story of Lincoln's life,” he said.

“I'm happy that the Lincoln Society still believes in freedom of speech, something that in 2011 we should not have to be defending in the United States of America,” Foner said, as he complemented the organization on its dedication to truth and open discourse. At the end of his talk, Foner was presented with the Society's “Lincoln Legacy Award.”

Peekskill City Historian John Curran and educator, artist, and re-enactor Paul Martin were both presented with the Lincoln Society's “Champion of History” awards.

About 120 people attended the Lincoln Society event. Watch the videos of Klein and Foner’s speeches above.

For more information on Lincolns 1861 visit read Jeff Canning's column from Feb. 12 .

Did you go to the parade? Look for yourself in our photos, add a caption to identify yourself or friends, and add your own photos as well. Thursday's "Viewfinder" will feature the Lincoln parade with many more photos, be sure to check back then to see more from the event.

Editor's Note: This article has been changed to include different details on Foner's speech that better relate to the event. A reference to Foner speaking about communism has been removed.

Like us on Facebook (facebook.com/PeekskillPatch) and follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/PeekskillPatch).