By Heather Lusk
When thinking about Thanksgiving, Abraham Lincoln likely isn’t the first thing that comes to mind.
But when Lincoln impersonator Kevin Wood visits Zionsville’s Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library Nov. 2, that’s a connection he wants people to make.
Prior to 1863, not all states celebrated a day of Thanksgiving. Those that did often did so on different days. Author and editor Sarah Josepha Hale said the nation should have a national day of thanks and petitioned several prior presidents, but with no luck. Eventually, during the Civil War she convinced Lincoln that the nation needed reasons to be thankful.
Wood will recount the story from Lincoln’s perspective and share a local anecdote of the president’s brief visit to Boone County.
“People are always interested in Lincoln’s connection to their own area,” Wood said.
Normally when Wood portrays Lincoln he reviews on the nation’s history and the former president’s personal story, often in schools and libraries. The history buff began as a Lincoln impersonator in 2000 when people commented on his resemblance. It started as a hobby, and during the past several years he has been portraying Lincoln professionally.
“I had to grow into it,” the 51-year-old said of starting at a younger age. “If you can imagine Lincoln with no wrinkles, it just doesn’t work as well. “I enjoy educating people, but also it’s a little bit of entertainment, too, and hopefully inspiring people not only from Lincoln’s personal story but also the story of our nation and our history. History is relevant.”
Wood lives in Chicago where he occasionally does his presentation in Spanish, although Lincoln only spoke a little German.
Registration for the 7 p.m. program is recommended at zionsvillelibrary.org. It will last about one hour and is open to anyone school age and up.
