Morrison library program focuses on President Lincoln

MORRISON — Ronald H. Koehn will present “Abraham Lincoln’s River Connections” at Odell Public Library from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20.

Since Lincoln’s tragic death by assassin on April 15, 1965, more books have been written about him than about any other American.

Koehn, a retired high school social studies teacher from Fulton, will focus on the less familiar aspects of Lincoln’s life. Twice, he helped maneuver a flatboat on the long journey to New Orleans, where he first witnessed a slave auction. Lincoln was briefly an assistant steamboat pilot on the Sangamon River, and he received a patent for a nautical device that he invented. Lincoln also played a crucial role as a defense lawyer in a major court case that pitted Jacob S. Hurd and the steamboat interests against the Rock Island Bridge Company and the railroad interests.

This free program is sponsored by Odell Public Library and the Odell Public Library Friends. For more information, contact the library at 815-772-7323. To ensure adequate seating for the event, reservations are requested but are not required.

The library is located at 307 S. Madison St., Morrison.