Peter Lindemann — immersed in history

Peter Lindemann, who lives in Schoharie County, is immersed in its history, documented in several books he has researched and written. Lindemann likes looking at big, national pieces of the past through a local lens. As a boy, he was fascinated with Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. His sister, who grew up to become a teacher, gave him a book on the subject. He memorized the Gettysburg Address as a child and today, as he takes on the role of Lincoln for local performances, he recites the address his own way. Rather than words softened into accepted platitudes over time, Lindemann’s Lincoln reads the words as a defiant speech, a rallying cry given at a time when the union could well have been lost. The address is still a needed rallying cry today, Lindemann says after reciting Lincoln’s words in this week’s podcast. On Feb. 25, Lindemann will present a virtual program, sponsored by the Old Stone Fort Museum and the Schoharie County Historical Society, titled “They May Have Found James Tanner’s Legs.” Tanner, a Schoharie farm boy, joined the Union Army in 1861 at age 17. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.