Plays Lincoln
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The Des Moines Register | Metro Edition Monday, January 14,2013 | Page 3E DORIS KEARNS from the Illinois Central Lincoln’s Iowa legacy LINCOLN GOODWIN Railroad on a break from 8continues atrial in Galena, Lincoln Upon the news of Lin- Continued from Page 1E What: Presidential historian made a side trip to Du- coln’s death on April 15, and Pulitzer Prize-winning buque in 1859. 1865, Iowans grieved in an only means of large-scale author Doris Kearns Goodwin The party reportedly outpouring that included transportation, had tried is the featured speaker at the stayed at the extravagant public meetings where unsuccessfully to block Greater Des Moines Part- Julien House hotel, an im- they openly wept. In Iowa its construction. nership’s annual dinner Tues- pressive structure that City, a mile-long proces- When the steamboat day. Her best-selling book, greeted travelers cross- sion wound through the Effie Afton struck one of “Team of Rivals: The Political ing the Mississippi River streets on April 19. its piers and burned, dam- Genius of Abraham Lincoln,” into Iowa. The romance between aging the bridge, the inspired Steven Spielberg’s While the original hotel The Harlan-Lincoln house in Mount Pleasant, Ia. SPECIAL TO Lincoln’s son, Robert boat’s owners initiated a Oscar-nominated film, “Lin- was destroyed by fire in THE REGISTER Todd Lincoln, and Iowan lawsuit against the Rock coln.” 1913, its elegant replace- Mary Eunice Harlan Island Railroad, claiming When: The Partnership’s ment completed in 1915 is aconversation on one of 1861: President Lin- forged a lasting Iowa tie. the bridge was a hazard to annual dinner, which cele- still open as the Hotel Ju- the broad porches of the 7coln consults James The two married in 1868, navigation and should be brates successes in the busi- lien Dubuque. Pacific House Hotel in Harlan, beginning a and in the late 1870s and dismantled. ness community, starts at which Lincoln questioned bond between the 1880s, brought their chil- Lincoln, by then a re- 5:30 p.m. Tuesday with a 1859: Lincoln travels Dodge, who made a case two families. dren to spend summers in spected Springfield, Ill., social hour. The dinner and 5to Council Bluffs for Council Bluffs — later Illinois native James the Mount Pleasant home lawyer, was hired to de- program begin at 6:30 p.m. In what may have been Lincoln’s choice for the Harlan moved to Iowa in built by Mary’s father. Ar- fend the railroad. His Reserve tickets at www.des Lincoln’s most significant railroad’s eastern termi- 1843, serving as a teacher tifacts there today in- work resulted in a hung moinesmetro.com/annual Iowa visit, he traveled to nus. and lawyer before being clude a section of the coat jury that historians say dinner. General seating is Council Bluffs a year be- named president of the Lincoln was wearing at helped hasten the end of $125 per person or $1,250 fore becoming a serious 1860: Iowans help Mount Pleasant Colle- the time of his assassina- the riverboat era and in- per table. challenger for the Repub- 6Lincoln win the giate Institute, now Iowa tion and the mourning veil crease the pace of expan- lican nomination for presidency Wesleyan College. Elect- worn by Mary Todd Lin- sion into Iowa. president. Josiah B. Grinnell of ed to the U.S. Senate in coln. Their three chil- Among accounts of the After a speech in the Grinnell and Hendrik Pie- 1855, he became one of dren’s heights in 1883 are 1858: Lincoln, aspir- Oct. 9 visit was one by Kansas Territory, Lincoln ter Scholte of Pella were Lincoln’s trusted advis- still recorded on a door- 3ing U.S. senator, Clark Dunham, editor of arranged a trip up the among the delegates who ers, even escorting first way in the home, which visits Burlington The Burlington Hawk Missouri River to Council supported Lincoln at the lady Mary Lincoln at the can be visited by appoint- Nominated to run Eye, who described Lin- Bluffs to survey parcels Republican National Con- second inauguration in ment with Lynn Ells- against incumbent Ste- coln coming down the of land his friend, Norman vention in Chicago. And 1865. Lincoln’s eldest son, worth, executive director phen A. Douglas for a seat stairs at his hotel, the Bar- Judd, had offered as secu- Iowa Gov. Samuel Kirk- Robert, escorted Senator of Friends of the Harlan- in the U.S. Senate, Lincoln ret House, to meet a local rity on a loan. He also wood of Iowa City, for- Harlan’s daughter, Mary, Lincoln House, at 319-385- finally accepted one of delegation with his arms made arrangements for a merly of Ohio, is noted for to the inauguration ball. 6320 or [email protected]. several requests, which stretched high as he speech on “political issues having used his connec- historians believe started struggled to pull a fresh, of the day,” which gath- tions to win support away How we compiled this story: Grant Veeder’s around 1844, to visit Bur- boiled shirt over his head. ered a packed house for from rival Salmon P. (left) article, “Abraham Lincoln and the Hawk- lington, Ia., then an impor- Lincoln later spoke at what the Council Bluffs Chase of Ohio. eye State,” published in Iowa Heritage Illustrat- tant political center in the Grimes House, a hall Nonpareil then described Scholte later wrote ed Winter 2008, was referenced, along with state. As part of the histor- owned by Iowa Gov. as a “masterly and unan- campaign endorsements artifacts, interviews and records from the State ic Lincoln-Douglas de- James W. Grimes, and the swerable speech.” for Lincoln and translated Historical Library of Iowa, the State Historical bates, Lincoln traveled to next day visited Grimes at Lincoln was intro- campaign materials into Society of Iowa, and the Council Bluffs Public Galesburg on Oct. 7. Bur- his home before leaving duced to Grenville Dodge, Dutch and German. He Library, as well as Iowa Public Television, the lington, about 46 miles town. acivil engineer working also attended the inaugu- Davenport Public Library, Pella Historical Village, Iowa Wesley- west, provided an oppor- for the Mississippi and ration in Washington, D.C. an College, the Union Pacific Railroad Museum, PBS, University tunity to respond to argu- 1859: Lincoln visits Missouri Railroad. Rival- Kirkwood was later of Iowa Press, The Lincoln Institute, the National Governors ments Douglas had made 4Dubuque ry for the railroad’s exten- Iowa’s war general under Associaiton, the Wisconsin Historical Society and the Abraham there on a recent visit. Traveling with clients sion point westward led to Lincoln. Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum websites. “I hadn’t planned for it LEARN MORE writers Alliance, invites PLAYS to go any further. My anybody with a pen and mother spotted a note in » The Iowa Scriptwriters Alliance meets in Des Moines on the last Tuesday of each month to paper to bring up to 15 Continued from Page 1E the paper and made sure read and critique screenplays and stage scripts by anyone. www.iowascripts.org pages to monthly script- Isubmitted it,” she said. » The 711Theatre Project challenges teams to create 11-minute plays every summer at Grand reading meetings. Actors University, the script It turned out to be a View University’s Viking Theatre. www.711theatre.com can come and practice about a college-aged smart move. » StageWest’s Scriptease series presents a new script on the last Tuesday of each month at the reading lines cold. Oth- son’s surprise visit back “Having that play First Unitarian Church. www.stagewestiowa.com ers come to offer feed- home with his girlfriend staged, seeing it live and » Actors read a script on the first Monday of each month at the Des Moines Community Play- back or simply listen in. was the winner of Tall- getting the feedback house. www.dmplayhouse.com The important thing is grass’ seventh annual from Tallgrass and the » Tallgrass Theatre accepts submissions year-round for its annual Iowa Playwrights Workshop. to just keep at it. At last Iowa Playwrights Work- audience gave me the www.tallgrasstheatre.org count, Deiker has written shop. It’s been polished confidence to know that I » Several other groups invite submission for full-length productions or short-play festivals, 92 plays. Forty-six have over the last few months really did have the ability including: the City Circle Acting Co. in Coralville, www.citycircle.org; Davis County Players in been staged by a total of with feedback from pub- to write, that I could Bloomfield, www.daviscountyfinearts.com; Dreamwell Theatre in Iowa City, www.dream 35 theaters in 17 states. lic readings and the usual pursue it further,” she well.com; and Shelterbelt Theatre in Omaha, www.shelterbelt.org. “There are more than rehearsals Tallgrass said. She now has a mas- 700 community theaters devotes to all of its plays, ter’s in English literature read fresh scripts every College — often host Tom Deiker, a local in the United States,” he by Pulitzer winners and and teaches writing at month, usually from festivals of short plays. playwright and retired said. “Many of them are newbies alike. Kaplan University. established writers but The 711Theatre Project, Iowa Department of happy to do play compe- The workshop’s direc- She’s seen a handful of not always. The Des in which teams have Human Services official, titions or workshops, tor, Erica Spiller, won the playwriting projects Moines Social Club orga- seven days to produce compiled a list of 11 such knowing they’ll get free first contest seven years emerge in the last few nizes page-to-stage 11-minute plays from opportunities statewide scripts.” ago with a script she years.