PAST plans open house

As a part of the upcoming Civil War Weekend  sponsored by the Anna Arts Center and the PAST organization of Union County, PAST is planning to host an open house at its new home at 102 S. Main St. in Jonesbor.

The open house is scheduled from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Admission is free.

Each room of the house will feature something about the life of Abraham Lincoln.

Exhibits will mark Lincoln’s early life, as well as his adulthood in Illinois.  

The exhibits will include his visit to Jonesboro for the campaign debates with Sen. Stephen Douglas.  

There will be displays telling about slavery, the Civil War era and life in Union County 150 years ago.  

Guests will be welcomed by event coordinator Barbara Bauer.  

Reenactor Deb Rossberg will focus on Abraham Lincoln’s humble birth and simple, hard-working youth.  

Interpreter Magan Livesay will point out Lincoln’s early adulthood, and PAST's mission to preserve history, locally.  

Docent Dr. Lynn Steveson will entertain guests with her "close encounters with the ghosts of Mrs. Lincoln."  

Quilt enthusiast Susan Steck will guide guests around the quilt room, show her Civil War replica soldier’s quilt and tell about President Lincoln’s Civil War Sanitary Commission Jackie Edwards will represent the Lincoln children’s nurse and make mention of the close parental bond between the Lincolns and their sons.  

Emily Boyd Meyer will preside in the Sansom Room and call attention to the place in history of the PAST House, which was once owned by her Sansom family.   

Folks are encouraged to attend the Civil War events at the Anna Arts Center on Friday and Saturday and the open house in Jonesboro on Sunday.  

Early visitors to the open house can still make the Anna Arts Center's "Blue and Gray" performance at 3 p.m.  

An historical bus tour that departs from the arts center at 1 p.m. will make a brief stop at the open house and return to the arts center in time for the "Blue and Gray" matinee.

PAST intends that the open house will be the first of many events at its new home in Jonesboro.

PAST plans to continue to help interpret the area's history for present and future generations.

The PAST Board of Directors welcomes volunteers to be a part of its work. For more information, call 833-3228.