The war is over 150 years ago; a week later Lincoln is dead. Now it is three weeks till his body is finally laid to rest in Springfield. At first it seemed bizarre and maudlin to plan a reenactment of the Lincoln funeral, surely one of the saddest events in U.S. history. But now that the procession is planned for the first weekend in May, it is clear that this season has caught the imagination of Springfield. From now until the reenactment, dozens of commemorative programs, panels and arts events have been planned by many organizations to give thought and voice to what happened then, and to where we are as a nation now. This is a spiritual time for Springfield – to participate, listen and reflect. –Fletcher Farrar, editor and publisher
This article appears in Apr 16-22, 2015.
