MENTOR, Ohio - Abraham Lincoln stands near the doorway, bathed in sunlight and signing autographs. It's Presidents Day, and James A. Garfield National Historic Site is filled with hundreds of families eager to put some context to this day off from school.
John King, who has portrayed Lincoln for nearly a quarter of a century, is a retired Ashtabula teacher. He is serious about making the story of our 16th president come alive, and often, the way he makes it stick is through humor.
The Paulic family of Mentor gathers for a selfie with Honest Abe. "Say Gettysburg!" King says, getting a laugh from everyone within earshot. "Know why I ask you to say Gettysburg to make you smile?" he asks, looking from face to upturned face. (King is 6'4", the same height as Lincoln) "That was a major victory in the east, and we didn't have too many of those," he says.
Ann Paulic, the mother of the two little ones King is currently engaging, smiles. "I'm from Illinois, the Land of Lincoln," she says with pride. "I went to Springfield as a child. He's one of my favorite presidents."
It's easy to forget that King isn't really Abe Lincoln. He never breaks character, and he looks quite a bit like the tall, lanky Hoosier. So much so that he won first place in the Lincoln Look Alike Contest in Gettysburg in 2013. He is a life member of the Association of Lincoln Presenters.
Next up are Chloe, 5, and Sadie Flammia, 3, of Mentor. Chloe sidles up to Lincoln's long legs for a picture. Her little sister buries her face in mom Melissa's shoulder as Melissa tries to get a picture. "Your mom got a picture of you, but do you want a picture of me?" King asks. Chloe nods and shoots a smile back at her mom. King hands her a shiny penny. "That's me on there!" he tells her, and asks Sadie if she'd like a picture, too.
"Sadie, it's money!" Chloe squeals, and her mom laughs. Sadie clings to her mom's leg. Chloe hands her penny to her little sister, and King quickly gives Chloe another. In no time, Abe Lincoln wins little Sadie over. He picks her up, they pose for a photo, and Sadie plants a kiss on King's cheek. Another fan of history is born.
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