Abraham Lincoln signed the 1862 Pacific Railroad Act which made building the first Transcontinental Railroad possible. He believed that such a railroad was important to the war effort, but he had long been a supporter of American railroads. This presentation will explore Lincoln's history with the railroad and his role in promoting rail in the west.

The program will be hosted by musician and folklorist Chris Vallillo in collaboration with the Union Pacific Railroad Museum in Council Bluffs, Iowa.  This program is funded in part by the Illinois Arts Council Agency and will livestream on Looking for Lincoln's Facebook page and YouTube Channel.

The event is FREE. Please do not click on any links that take you to pay page. Our free Facebook events will never ask you for a credit card. If you have trouble finding the event, check the main news feed on the page, and do not click on links in the comments. 

Join us for “Stephen Foster and the Rise of Popular Music” featuring Chris Vallillo. From his first hit with “Oh Susannah” in 1848 through his death in 1864, Stephen Foster created music that touched millions and lives and live on to this very day. In his lifetime, his songs were known and sung around the world, performed by classical musicians and sung by slaves in the fields of Georgia. Foster’s music played a large part in the creation of an emerging popular American culture. One of his songs even topped the charts of the hit parade some 75 years after his death!

Award winning folksinger and multi-instrumentalist Chris Vallillo performs nine of Foster’s best loved songs and explores the impact of this legendary American icon and his music on American culture.

This program is funded in part by the Illinois Arts Council Agency and will livestream on Looking for Lincoln's Facebook page and YouTube Channel.

The event is FREE. Please do not click on any links that take you to pay page. Our free Facebook events will never ask you for a credit card. If you have trouble finding the event, check the main news feed on the page, and do not click on links in the comments.

Join us for a conversation with Cordelia Harvey.  Cordelia was appointed Wisconsin's representative to the Western Sanitary Commission by Governor Salomon. She traveled up and down the Mississippi River visiting Union hospitals and helping thousands of soldiers from Wisconsin and other northern states. 

During her travels, she became a passionate believer in the need for hospitals away from the battlefields and the hot, humid South. She traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with President Lincoln who was opposed to the idea of northern hospitals. Through perseverance and determination, she was able to convince President Lincoln of the merits of northern hospitals.

The program will be hosted by musician and folklorist Chris Vallillo in collaboration with the Civil War Museum in Kenosha, Wisconsin. This program is funded in part by the Illinois Arts Council Agency and will livestream on Looking for Lincoln's Facebook page and YouTube Channel.

The event is FREE. Please do not click on any links that take you to pay page. Our free Facebook events will never ask you for a credit card. If you have trouble finding the event, check the main news feed on the page, and do not click on links in the comments.