Lincoln historian Guy Fraker talked to students at Washington Elementary School Monday. (Photo By Paul Morello/WJBC)

By Paul Morello

BLOOMINGTON - A group of students at Washington Elementary School got some insight into the 16th President of the United States Monday.

Lincoln historian Guy Fraker talked to two classes about Lincoln's time as a lawyer in Central Illinois and his assassination at Ford's Theatre in Washington.

Fraker hopes the group of 8-year-old children took two points away from the presentation.

"To understand how awful slavery was and to understand how great Lincoln was and what an amazing thing that he did and what a great leader he actually was," he said.

Fraker's presentation seemed to stick.

"He was very brave through that war and he was very, very kind," said second grader Kaitlyn Taylor.

"He told us Abraham Lincoln was pretty strong," said Richie Warlow. "He lifted up a huge axe and it was like one hundred pounds."

Fraker said many children don't realize Lincoln's Central Illinois connections.

"Some of them seem to know but I think most of them not," Fraker said. "Many think he's a figure that's somewhere off in stories or legends. I think it would make him more real if students knew that he was in Central Illinois."

Paul Morello can be reached at paul@wjbc.com.