According to the paper, the reunion will take place July 8, 2006.PETERSBURG -- Nearly two centuries ago, a self-described "piece of driftwood" settled in a frontier village that would soon dwindle into a ghost town. Both would be forgotten today, except the settler's name was Abraham Lincoln and the village, New Salem, has become synonymous with his rise from rough young man to ambitious politician.
Now the descendants of his friends and neighbors in New Salem -- rebuilt as a state historic site -- are organizing a reunion next summer to mark the 175th anniversary of Lincoln's arrival.
Some Rutledges will be there, still convinced that Lincoln had a secret romance with their ancestor Ann. Descendants of Jack Armstrong, the local tough guy who lost a wrestling match with Lincoln, plan to show up. So do Onstots and Burners and Bales.
But don't look for any Lincolns. The 16th president has no living descendants.
Organizers hope perhaps 1,000 people will attend, sharing information on their family trees and swapping stories handed down through the generations.
UPDATE: Hey, how 'bout this: Since there are no Lincoln family descendants to attend why not take this opportunity to gather all the families of Lincoln impersonators. Think of the stories they could share! There has to be something slightly embarrassing about having dad running around looking like Honest Abe, practicing "four scores" in the mirror and having to pick up his stove pipe hat from the dry cleaners. Maybe even a support group could emerge from the event.
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