Supporters have been working since to erect a statue of Abraham Lincoln in Bronson Park. The plan to commemorate Lincoln’s only visit to Michigan will kick into high gear in 2019.
Cameron Brown with the Kalamazoo Abraham Lincoln Project told WMUK’s Andy Robins that a public capital campaign to raise $300,000 will begin in January. He says the plans include a statue to be placed at the spot where Lincoln spoke in what is now Bronson Park on August 27th, 1856. The Illinois Republican came to Kalamazoo that day to campaign for his party’s presidential nominee John C. Fremont. Fremont did not win, but four years later Lincoln was elected President of the United States.
Brown says the fundraising efforts will run concurrently with a penny drive in area schools. He says the idea is resonating well. Brown says some people are just learning about Lincoln’s visit to Kalamazoo. But he says that’s part of what the project is about. “It’s an untapped asset for Kalamazoo.”
The Kalamazoo Abraham Lincoln Project plans to submit plans to Kalamazoo City Commissioners in August that will include a design for the privately funded statue. Brown says they also plan to include youth leadership programs based on Lincoln’s values. He says those include fairness, compassion and hard work.
