BLOOMINGTON -- Jesse Fell, founder of Normal and Illinois State University, was instrumental in getting Abraham Lincoln nominated for president.

Bloomington resident David Davis was Lincoln's campaign manager before becoming a U.S. Supreme Court associate justice.

Other McLean County residents also had a connection to Lincoln and many of them are buried in Evergreen Cemetery. Their stories will be told during McLean County Museum of History's Evergreen Cemetery Voices from the Past Discovery Walk, now in its 15th year.

"This is the most challenging year ever for the cemetery walk," said Mary Anne Schierman, director of volunteers at the museum. "There is so much information and so many people who have made themselves so knowledgeable about Abraham Lincoln and we have about six minutes (per performance) to tell the story."

The theme couldn't be passed by: 2009 is the 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth. Schierman hopes the walk will introduce some of the lesser-known people who were part of Lincoln's life.

Hosaia Brown, a recent criminal justice graduate of ISU and a guard at Pontiac Correctional Center, portrays Simon Malone, a Mississippi slave who escaped, came north, served in the Union army, was captured again only to flee and make a home in Normal.

"What he did is why we have freedom," said Brown, who previously was unfamiliar with his character. "He knew slavery was wrong and didn't accept it. He was in fear for his life but escaped across Union lines. I'm proud to portray someone who had an important role in freedom."

Malone's story will be told in concert with that of Alpheus Holden Pike, portrayed by Ron Emmons, an Illinois Wesleyan University writing teacher and four-year veteran of the cemetery walk.

"This role is interesting; probably the most unusual that I've done," said Emmons.

Pike was raised in a middle-class McLean County family and joined the Union army at age 14. He was captured by the Confederates and sent to Andersonville prison, where he was abused and fed rotten meat.

"He never recovered," said Emmons. "He was not healthy. He spent much of his life in a wheelchair. While he may have been bitter about his condition, he was glad to have helped free the slaves."

David Flanders and Todd Wineburner also will perform as a pair, portraying David Davis and Jesse Fell, respectively. Flanders portrayed Davis in the play, "Lincoln's in Town!" and Wineburner has played the role of Fell three times.

During the cemetery walk, Davis and Fell talk right after Lincoln is nominated for president.

"I think Davis felt he could be of more help to Lincoln … continue some kind of management and advice for Lincoln in his presidency, akin to today's chief of staff," Flanders said.

Fell, on the other hand, seems content with his involvement as a leader in this community, Wineburner said.

Director Judy Brown hired playwrights Jared Brown, John Kirk and Kathleen Kirk, and actor, designer and writer Michael Pullin, to whittle the massive information on each character into 6½ minutes. Much of the information was gathered by museum education director Candace Summers.

"The aim is to capture a small amount of time," Brown said. "These are nesting boxes."

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Historic voices

What: McLean County Museum of History's Evergreen Cemetery Voices from the Past Discovery Walk in collaboration with Illinois Voices Theatre, Evergreen Memorial Cemetery and the Illinois Arts Council

Who: Director, Judy Brown; production assistant, Donna Anhalt; costumes, Rob Goode; writers, Jared Brown, John Kirk, Kathleen Kirk, Michael Pullin.

Actors

Cyndee Brown: Portrays Emily Hanks Loomis, daughter of John Hanks, a close cousin of Abraham Lincoln.

Kathleen Kirk: Sarah Davis, wife of David Davis.

Peg Kirk: Rose Northrup, who met Lincoln as a little girl.

Bob Mangialardi: Ezra Prince, a founder of the McLean County Historical Society and an enemy of Southern sympathizers.

Michael Pullin: Edward Lewis, former editor of The Daily Pantagraph.

Hosaia Brown: Simon Malone, a fugitive slave.

Ron Emmons: Alpheus Pike, who was captured and served time in a notorious Southern prison camp.

Rhys Lovell and Brian Artman: Allen Withers, who moved to McLean County from the South and tried to continue doing business with Lincoln supporters.

Christine Cummings: Sarah Withers, wife of Allen Withers, tried to stay socially connected despite her negative attitudes toward Lincoln.

David Flanders: David Davis, Lincoln's campaign manager.

Todd Wineburner: Jesse Fell, who helped persuade Lincoln to run for president.

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Discovering the past

What: McLean County Museum of History's Evergreen Cemetery Voices from the Past Discovery Walk

When: 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday and Oct. 4, and Oct. 10-11

Where: Evergreen Cemetery, 302 E. Miller St., Bloomington

Cost: $12 general admission; $10 for museum members; $4 for students with ID; available at museum, cemetery and The Garlic Press. Gate tickets, when available, are an additional $2 and are sold one hour before each performance.