Gettysburg Address is subject of Nov. 18 History Speaks talk

160 years ago, President Abraham Lincoln traveled to the site of the Battle of Gettysburg to see the dedication of a cemetery, and gave some brief words to the gathered crowd.

For November’s History Speaks presentation, Professor Brett Barker will explore the story of the “few appropriate remarks” made that afternoon, and how it became one of the most famous speeches in U.S. history. He will explain the speech’s genesis and how this great statement of American ideals emerged in the midst of Lincoln’s crowded life as commander-in chief, political leader, and harried husband and father.

Come learn why the address’s language, historical context and meaning justify its enduring fame. Dr. Brett Barker is professor of history at UWStevens Point at Wausau and is chair of the Department of History and International Studies at UW-Stevens Point. He has taught in Wausau since 2004 and is a member of the MCHS Board of Directors. His primary historical research interests are in the northern home front during the Civil War and Wisconsin soldiers during the Civil War.

This History Speaks program will be presented live Saturday, Nov. 18, at 2 p.m. at the Woodson History Center (410 McIndoe St., Wausau), in conjunction with the Marathon County Public Library and sponsored by Janke Book Store. The presentation will be recorded and available digitally on Facebook and YouTube within a few days of the live program (along with many of our past programs).

MCHS is located in the Woodson History Center at 410 McIndoe St., Wausau. Exhibit and office hours are Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Admission is free. The research library is open from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Tours of the Yawkey House Museum are available Tuesday – Sunday. Call for times and prices.

For more information, call MCHS at 715-842-5750, email info@marathoncountyhistory. org, or visit the website at www.marathoncountyhistory.org.

The mission of MCHS is to collect, preserve, and exhibit materials related to the history of Marathon County, and to use these materials to help people learn about North Central Wisconsin, connect with their roots, and explore their own historical connections.

The Marathon County Historical Society is supported in part by City of Wausau Room Tax Funding. Additional support provided through the B.A. & Esther Greenheck Foundation.