DANVILLE — Did you know Mary Todd Lincoln and Civil War soldiers used to brush their teeth with tooth powder, or there was a language spoken with the movement of fans, such as Mary Todd would hold?

Ever wonder what Civil War soldiers ate, or can’t imagine how heavy the shackles were in which slaves were forced to wear?

What about just wanting to know more information about Abraham Lincoln’s life and his road to the presidency?

Area teachers and students have a new collection of information and artifacts available now at the Danville Public Library.

The library will showcase Lincoln Legacy Learning kits that are now part of its permanent collection in display cases during November.

The four kits feature a variety of items that were packed in luggage.

“The kits are pretty impressive — chock-full of lesson plans, books, music CDs, DVDs and artifacts,” library director Barbara Nolan said.

“It was really like Christmas,” she said about opening the kits.

The library is highlighting the items and information from the kits to accompany the free Lincoln-Douglas Debates exhibit that will be on display from Nov. 3-28.

The traveling exhibit was prepared by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. The 20-foot long, 7 feet tall free-standing display will be located at the south end of the second floor of the library.

The exhibit was funded in part by a grant from the Illinois Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.

The Lincoln Trail Libraries system coordinated the exhibit which is sponsored by the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition on behalf of the Lincoln Douglas Debate Communities.

“It covers a lot,” Nolan said of the exhibit. “We’ve just been blown away by (everything).”

The exhibit is one of eight identical exhibits visiting libraries in the state to raise awareness of the debates.

The exhibit includes the issues leading up to the debates, debate locations and Lincoln’s strategy for his presidential nomination that ultimately led to the addition of the 17th amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The amendment provides for the direct election of senators by the people of a state rather than their election or appointment by a state legislature.

Lincoln and Stephen Douglas didn’t debate here, but came separately.

Douglas defeated Lincoln for senator in 1858, but the debates propelled the unknown Illinois senator into the national limelight and to a successful presidential election two years later.

Nolan said Lincoln wasn’t the most handsome man and had flaws.

“I think people can appreciate all he was able to accomplish,” she said.

The Lincoln Legacy Learning kits show what his 1860 campaign ads and signs looked like.

Other artifacts included in the kits: pen and ink set, washboard, gloves, parasol and shawl with the Mary Todd Lincoln kit, White House tea cup, sewing kits, corn cob pipe, soap, tooth powder, a canteen, hardtack crackers and cutter for the crackers that Civil War soldiers would use.

The kits will be available for schools to check out.

Children’s Department Director Vonna Bley has been preparing the lesson plans, photos and other items into a notebook to show teachers what are in the kits.

Cathy Jones, librarian at South View Middle School, said with this year’s presidential election, students have been inquiring even more about past presidents.

“This has really come to the surface,” she said.

Jones remembers going to Springfield as a student to learn more about Lincoln.

“It’s a great thing,” she said about the library’s newest collection allowing students more hands-on learning opportunities about the time period and Lincoln himself.

FYI

A resource guide to the Lincoln-Douglas Debates may be found in the 2001 issue of Illinois History Teacher at http://www.lib.niu.edu/2001/iht820111.html.