AUSTINBURG TOWNSHIP – A familiar-looking stovepipe hat was seen Monday, Feb. 16, at the First United Church of Christ in Austinburg.
It sat atop the head of none other than U.S. President Abraham Lincoln – or, rather, a re-enactor portraying Lincoln during the Semiquincentennial Unity Forum, “A More Perfect Union,” at the church.
“It was my aim and goal, my waking and sleeping devotion, to maintain the Union, preserve it,” Bill Terry, the re-enactor playing Old Abe, told the audience, as he spoke in character.
Held, appropriately, on Presidents’ Day, the event was presented by the Ashtabula County – America 250 Arts & Entertainment Committee as a lead-up to the Semiquincentennial Festival July 4 in Jefferson.
Two other presidents were also portrayed during the event’s “Unity Dialogues,” which were moderated by former Ohio House Rep. and retired Jefferson Area High School history teacher Dr. John Patterson.
In addition to Terry, the 250 Theatre Troupe re-enactors taking part were ed Burke, portraying President John Adams, and Benjamin Frayser, playing President James Garfield. Before they appeared, James Higgins spoke in character at the beginning of the evening as Teddy Roosevelt as he talked about the Spanish American War.
After the re-enactors reviewed the administrations of the presidents they portrayed, Patterson spoke about the importance of studying and knowing history – ugly as it has been at times.
“There have been times of discord and outright bloodshed in the streets,” Patterson said. “We cannot overlook those facts. We can’t simply look the other way. But it’s through the study and through the understanding, that we gain wisdom and can make, as our Framers wanted, ‘A More Perfect Union’ – not perfect, but more perfect.”
In that spirit, Patterson asked the presidents for some guidance for the current times.
“So, I think it’s important that we should ask our three sages on the stage for some advice as to what we should be doing at this point in time,” he said.
First, Patterson asked Adams his thoughts.
“We need some of your inspiration, we need some of your guidance because right now there’s potential for the United States to be drawn into wars in various places…” Patterson said. “What advice would you give us and our current administration as to how to keep our North Star pointed toward righteousness and the American Way?”
Burke, speaking as Adams, offered many pieces of advice. Among those, he said it was important to listen and focus on details, be well-informed and patient, and be aware of events occurring as negotiations take place.
Working in a humorous story of a dispute over pig, Terry, speaking as Lincoln, said to remember that “a house divided cannot stand” and to watch ourselves “before no one has any pigs at all.”
Frayser, speaking as Garfield, said that “when competence reigns, the republic thrives.”
It was an reference to an issue during Garfield’s time — the spoils system and the eventual reformation of the civil service.
History.com states that “calls for reform of the spoils system increased with the growth of the federal government after the Civil War,” and “it then came to a head when Charles Guiteau, a disgruntled spoils system supporter, shot President James A. Garfield for not giving him a job.” According to History.com, “the shooting led to Garfield’s death two months later, and helped convince his successor, Chester A. Arthur, to reform the civil service and begin dismantling the spoils system.”
Women were also well represented at the event with “A Torch Across Time, Voices of American Women’s Rights” staged by re-enactors in the Theatre Troupe.
Abigail Adams was portrayed by Betsy Burke, Susan B. Anthony by Erin Fenner and Elizabeth Cady Stanton by Kimberly Pickard.
“Remember this – remember, all men would be tyrants if they could,” Burke, speaking as Abigail Adams, said, recounting a famous quote from Abigail.
In addition, music was also a big part of the night with performances by Ashtabula Arts Center’s HeARTstrings, an adult string ensemble.
