Press Release - Tuesday, November 22, 2005
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STATEHOOD CELEBRATION DECEMBER 3 AT OLD STATE CAPITOL
SPRINGFIELD, IL - The 187th anniversary of Illinois statehood will be celebrated Saturday, December 3, from noon to 4 p.m. at the Old State Capitol State Historic Site in downtown Springfield. The celebration is sponsored by the Old State Capitol Foundation and the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA). The activity is free and open to the public.
Come to the Old State Capitol December 3 to celebrate Illinois' history and the beginning of the holiday season with period decorations, holiday music, performances, and hands-on activities. More than 300 area students are involved in tree decorating at the site this year, which will highlight the early French influence on Illinois' settlement.
Youth can learn to write a Christmas list or card with a quill pen, make a bird feeder from pine cones, and play period games. The Prairie Dulcimer Strings will perform traditional music in the Senate Chamber. Abraham Lincoln, as portrayed by Lon Pressnell of Springfield, will appear. The 16th President will talk about his life and times in the humorous, anecdotal style of speaking for which he was famous. He will also answer questions from visitors of all ages.
President James Monroe signed a resolution on December 3, 1818 making Illinois the 21st state. A 21-gun salute was fired in Kaskaskia, the first state capital, when the new state constitution was signed.
The Old State Capitol State Historic Site, administered by IHPA, was occupied in 1839 and was the seat of Illinois government through 1876. It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for free public tours.
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