Aurora and the Grand Army of the Republic In the Age of Lincoln

February 12, 2009 marks the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. To commemorate the occasion, the Aurora Public Art Commission (APAC) and the Aurora Historical Society (AHS) will present Aurora and the Grand Army of the Republic in the Age of Lincoln, an exhibit that explores life in Aurora before and during Lincoln’s presidency and after the Civil War, when Union veterans established Aurora’s Grand Army of the Republic, Post 20. APAC and AHS have assembled artifacts that document Lincoln’s enormous influence on the lives of Aurora residents and his continuing legacy in our community. This exhibit will be on display from February 13 through May 25, 2009. The opening reception will be Friday, February 13 from 5:00-7:30. There is no admission fee to the reception. Regular gallery hours are Wednesday through Sunday from Noon to 4:00 P.M.

Grand Army of the Republic, Aurora Post 20

The Grand Army of the Republic section of the exhibit, which was organized by historian and guest curator Eric Schuster, includes information about the GAR from its inception in Decatur, Illinois, to the formation of Aurora’s GAR, Post 20, established by the Soldiers Monument Association and the Ladies Auxiliary in 1868.  Over the course of sixty years, Post 20 boasted a membership of 700 veterans. For these men, Lincoln was Commander-In-Chief.

The exhibit includes many of the artifacts that were on display in the GAR Memorial Hall, such as photos, statuary, books, medals, engravings, as well as information describing the history of the organization, the history of the building, and brief biographies of some of the most colorful and influential founders and members. In addition, the exhibit features information about the restoration of the building, which is currently in progress. The Aurora Public Art Commission oversees GAR exhibits and operations. The GAR Museum will reopen in 2010.

Aurora In the Age of Lincoln

This section of the exhibit, curated by the staff at the Aurora Historical Society, provides a glimpse of what Aurora was like during and just after Lincoln’s life time, when he was known as a shrewd lawyer and promising young politician, and not as a mythic American icon.

On display are unique items from the Aurora Historical Society collections, including an 1860 map of Kane County; men’s and women’s clothing of the pre-Civil War era, such as the 1853 wedding dress of Mrs. Samuel McCarty, wife of Aurora’s founder; Civil War artifacts such as swords from Col. Silas Miller of the 36th Illinois Volunteers and a surgical kit carried by Dr. Abner Hard, Surgeon of the 8th Illinois Cavalry; and Lincoln-related items including images, sculpture, and a Lincoln letter from 1855, written to Aurora’s Charles Hoyt.

Aurora and the Grand Army of the Republic In the Age of Lincoln will be on display through May 25, 2009.

Location: Aurora Public Art Commission Gallery, 3rd floor 20 E. Downer Place, Aurora, IL 60506

Contact: Rena J. Church, Director, Aurora Public Art Commission, (630) 906-0654, rchurch@aurora-il.org