Lincoln Flag forms centerpiece of Pike’s Lincoln Bicentennial

MILFORD, PA — This year marks the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, and the Pike County Historical Society has big plans to honor Abe. Although Lincoln himself has no direct tie to Milford or Pike County, Pike County has a special link to President Lincoln: an artifact known as the Lincoln Flag.

It will form a centerpiece for the many activities the historical society plans to celebrate the bicentennial, starting with a new exhibit of Lincoln Memorabilia opening at the Columns Museum on Thursday, February 12 from 12:00 noon until 6:00 p.m. The evening of the same day, there will be a “Happy Birthday Mr. Lincoln” dinner at The Laurel Villa, with a cash bar cocktail hour starting at 6:00 followed by dinner at 7:00 p.m. The cost is $35 per person.

The Lincoln Flag is stained with the blood of Abraham Lincoln and was brought to Milford by Jeannie Gourlay in 1888. Gourlaywas an actress in the play being performed the night of Lincoln’s assassination at Ford’s Theatre.

It was common knowledge for years that the flag existed. Jeannie Gourlay Struthers even hung it over her porch railing on patriotic holidays. Her son, Vivian Paul, brought it to school for show and tell. After Jeannie’s death, her son Vivian Paul donated it to the Pike County Historical Society.

In the early ‘80s, much legwork was done by then President of the Historical Society Barbara Buchanan and Lincoln Group of New York President Joseph Garerra to validate the artifact. It was put in an archival display case and a research periodical was published detailing the painstaking efforts done to prove their case, and catapult the flag into its rightful place in history.

This year, loan of the flag has been sought by many institutions, including The Mutter Museum in Philadelphia and the Gettysburg Civil War Institute. It is likely the flag will go to Gettysburg in June to be exhibited for a week-long conference at which the topics for consideration are Lincoln’s assassination and Mary Todd Lincoln.

The next event planned will be on Saturday, February 28, when the Lincoln Flag will be on display at the Wayne County Republican Club’s annual Lincoln Dinner, at 7:00 p.m.

For more information visit pikecountyhistoricalsociety.org or call 570/296-8126.

Lincoln statuary on exhibit

In honor of our 16th President’s Birthday, the Pike County Historical Society’s Museum will exhibit a collection of Lincoln Statuary on loan from the Lehigh Valley Historical Society starting on Thursday, February 12. Included are an extremely rare 1891 Leonard Volk piece depicting Lincoln carrying the Emancipation Proclamation and an original John Rogers group titled “Council of War,” which was created in 1868.

Rogers (1929-1904) was, with little doubt, the most popular sculptor of the last half of the 19th century. Working in plaster creating Victorian decorative groups of statuary, he is often referred to as the “Norman Rockwell” of his time. Rogers distinguished himself early in his career with the many poignant American Civil War subjects he created and realized into various groups of statuary.

Special museum hours will be observed, opening at 1:00pm and remaining open until 6:00pm the evening of the 12th. Light refreshments will be served between 4 and 6 p.m.