President Lincoln Draws Capacity Crowd

Just as darkness descended on Elkton Saturday night, a man wearing a long dark coat and a tall stovepipe hat stepped quickly from the shadows into the bright lights of a Main Street building. Sitting inside 135 E. Main Street, anxiously awaiting the arrival of the familiar looking gentleman was a room-filling crowd waiting to take a trip back in time. It was a presidential visit of sorts that brought the over 70 individuals to the Historical Society of Cecil County. They were there to hear Actor Christian Johnson put on a one-man show as he assumed the persona of Abraham Lincoln.

In the performance, offered by the Society, Johnson, calling himself a time traveler on a visit “to the great State of Maryland,” described key moments of Lincoln’s eventful life during an engaging performance. As he peppered his act with humor and stories, laughter often spilled beyond the thick walls of the centuries old building as the shadows of evening lengthened outside. When he finished his portrayal, Honest Abe took questions from the audience. Ranging from queries about Pinkerton to the declaration of war, the eager crowd peppered him with requests for additional comments. Next, he asked folks to join him for refreshments as he mingled with audience members, shook hands, talked lots more, and posed for photographs. Then, just as suddenly as he had emerged, the hour growing late and the crowd thinning, the time traveler disappeared into the darkness of the historic old thoroughfare, after having spent about three hours in downtown Elkton.

Society treasurer, Herbert Cubbage, said the organization was pleased to bring an unusual opportunity to see a living history interpretation of the great leader to the County and draw a capacity crowd. In the future we hope to offer other engaging historical performances of this sort to the public, he added. At present, we’re considering programs by Thomas Jefferson, William Penn and Patrick Henry.

The Cecil County Special Events Committee provided financial assistance for the event.