Pinewood Derby Information

The 2009 Nevada Day Theme is
" NEVADA SALUTES PRESIDENT LINCOLN"

Born 200 years ago on the 12th of February 1809 in a log cabin on the Kentucky frontier, Abraham Lincoln became the 16th President of the United States.

To commemorate his 200th birthday, Congress established the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission (ALBC) in 2000. Dedicated to renewing American appreciation of Lincoln's legacy, the 15-member commission is made up of lawmakers and scholars and also features an advisory board of over 130 various Lincoln historians and enthusiasts. Located at Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., the ALBC is the organizing force behind numerous tributes, programs and cultural events highlighting a two-year celebration scheduled to begin in February 2008 at Lincoln's birthplace: Hodgenville, Kentucky.

Lincoln's birthplace and family home are national historic memorials: the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site in Hodgenville, and the Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield, Illinois. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum opened in Springfield in 2005; it is a major tourist attraction, with state-of-the-art exhibits. The Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery is located in Elwood, Illinois. The Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum is located in Harrogate, Tennessee.

Few really know the facts behind Nevada becoming a state, Guy Rocha is one. The following excerpts are from his article"Why Did Nevada Become A State"By Guy Rocha Nevada State Archivist

Who hasn't heard ad nauseam that our state was admitted to the Union on October 31, 1864 because its silver and gold production was needed to help finance the Civil War. Anyone who has attended Nevada's schools has heard the story from a teacher or read it in a textbook. It's a wonderful tale, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Our state's history has too often been embellished and transposed into myth, and the claim of Nevada's mineral wealth triggering statehood ranks as one of the most pervasive fictional stories in the annuals of the Silver State. The reasons for Nevada's statehood were political, not economic. Earlier writers were so caught up in romanticizing Nevada's role in the Civil War they decided to re-invent history.

FACTS BEHIND NEVADA BECOMING A STATE

FACT: Nevada Territory was a federal territory, a part of the Union, and President Abraham Lincoln appointed Governor James Warren Nye, a former Police Commissioner in New York City, to ensure that it stayed that way. Governor Nye put down any demonstration in support of the Confederacy, and there were some. The federal government bought much of Nevada's silver and gold bullion to support its currency. What federal taxes there were at the time that could be effectively collected went into Union coffers. Therefore, Nevada's creation as a TERRITORY on March 2, 1861 by the United States Congress ensured that its riches would help the Union and not the Confederate cause.

FACT: By the time Congress approved an Enabling Acting for Nevada on March 21, 1864, the Civil War was winding down. The Union had won decisive victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg, and the South was in shambles. President Lincoln sought reelection and faced a three-way race against General John C. Fremont, the Radical Republican candidate, and General George B. McClellan, a Democrat--he had earlier in the war relieved both generals of their commands. New states, and their popular and electoral vote, were needed to reelect Lincoln in support of his moderate, reconstruction policies for the South. Among the proposed policies was the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery. If Nevada were a state, it could ratify the amendment and help in the passage of the landmark humanitarian legislation

The entire article can be found at:
http://www.nevadaweb.com/nevadaca/rocha-2.html

The Nevada Day Board, upon hearing about the ALBC from a presentation by Mr. Bob Nylen, the Nevada State Museum Curator of History, unanimously agreed that it was the right time for Nevada to reiterate its appreciation to Mr. Lincoln, and dedicate this years parade to President Lincoln with theme "Nevada Salutes President Lincoln."

If you have a suggestion for this years Grand Marshal please e-mail their Name along with a brief statement as to why you think they represent this years theme to: nevadaday@nevadaday.com or send a FAX to Nevada Day at
775-882-6815.

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