URORA -- The ringing declarations of abolitionist Frederick Douglass proclaimed by television actor and native son Phil Van Lear, the tunes of the 1860s played on antique instruments by a 16-piece brass band, a conversation between Mary and Abraham Lincoln as they dress for a night of theater, and the idle chatter of soldiers keeping camp around smoky fires are some of the attractions of “The Civil War in Aurora,” sponsored by the Aurora Historical Society on July 2 and 3 on the grounds of the Tanner House Museum, a landmark 1857 building in one of Aurora’s oldest neighborhoods.
Reenactors will camp out on the grounds both days, and there will be demonstrations of period crafts such as wool-spinning, candle-making and blacksmithing. A 19th-century schoolmarm will educate and entertain children, and visitors will have free access to the Tanner House.
In the entertainment tent, headliners will include VanLear, recently seen on “Prison Break” and “Chicago Code,” the nationally-known Illinois 33rd Regiment Reenactor Band, and Max and Donna Daniels as Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln. Other entertainers will read historic letters from both battlefront and home front and perform music and dance of the period. Of special interest will be appearances by Aurora citizens whose letters and mementos of the Civil War have been researched by members of the Historical Society. Some of these individuals are Dr. Abner Hard, a surgeon with the 8th Cavalry whose field notes graphically depict his treatment of patients on the battlefield, and Cal Boger, an escaped slave who started a new life and a family dynasty in Aurora.
The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $7 for adults and $5 for students. Two-day passes are $12 and $8. The Tanner House is located at Oak and Cedar Streets in Aurora.
For more information, please see www.aurorahistory.net or call Civil War Event at 630-859-3292.
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