Power of Place – Illinois Road Scholar Presentation with Dr. Aaron Lawler
The Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site will host Power of Place- An Illinois Road Scholar Presentation with Dr. Aaron Lawler. The presentation will be on Saturday, March 7, at 2:00 pm in the Visitor Center Auditorium.
In this thought-provoking talk, Dr. Lawler takes audiences on a unique tour of Illinois’ most sacred and strange landmarks; from ancient Cahokia to Casey’s “World’s Largest” mailbox, from the Baha’i Temple to the Leaning Tower of Niles. When people return again and again to the same places, they leave something behind: memory, longing, belief. Over time, these places become filled with the presence of everyone who has stood here before. In this way, America’s kitsch and its sacredness are not opposites but companions. Dr. Lawler closes the presentation with a few carefully selected “day-cation” pilgrimages, not as tourism, but as journeys of curiosity, reflection, and reconnection.
This presentation aligns with the Illinois America 250 Commission’s theme, the “Power of Place,” that helps us explore how our natural and built environments have shaped the settlement, migration, and the development of our state. The initiative was developed by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.
The Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site is located at 402 South Lincoln Highway Road, near Lerna.
To contact them, call 217-345-1845 or visit lincolnlogcabin.org