Stone's Trace Historical Society
Stone's Tavern & Stone's Trace Regulators
1861-1865 Union President Abraham & Mary Lincoln
Murray Cox has been portraying Lincoln since 1985, appearing before elementary classrooms and college forums, Boy Scouts pageants and pilgrimages, Worship Services and Sunday School groups, community and patriotic groups, and even a wedding reception. He has been part of the documentaries about Lincoln presenters “Men in Hats”, and “Life as Lincoln.”
Murray tries to inform people of parts of Lincoln’s life which are not widely known, or which may be misunderstood. His goal is for the listener to have a better understanding of the real Abraham Lincoln and his life.
He has also been involved in two different documentaries about Abraham Lincoln presenters. He has spoken on topics such as Lincoln's youth in frontier Indiana, his career as a lawyer in Illinois, as the role of God in the Nation's Life.
Mr. Lincoln will be located in the Civil War area at Stone's Trace Pioneer Festival, on September 6th and 7th, 2025.
Mary Todd Lincoln
Diane Hoskins will have her hand made replica of the 16th First lady’s famous strawberry dress worn in her official portrait of the First Lady in May of 1861 Hoskins spent a great deal of time photographing and memorizing how the dress was made during a trip to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield IL. It took nine weeks to make the dress which cost more than $7,000. (Due to medical issues, she will not be in attendence this year.)
1861-1865 Confederate President Jefferson and Varina Davis
David Walker, a retired elementary teacher, has been providing Jefferson Davis impressions for more than a decade. Walker has made appearances at Civil War reenactments, Civil War round tables, Civil War balls, Civil War fashion shows, and a host of other events. His presentation will cover events leading up to the war and the war itself.
Walker has immersed himself in American history since reading his first book about Abraham Lincoln when he was in the third grade. Walker attended school in Van Wert, where he graduated from high school.
He subsequently attended Wright State University (WSU), obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Education. He later earned a Master of Arts in history from WSU. Although he has retired as a classroom teacher, he continues to substitute teach.
Walker began reenacting in 1987, initially as a soldier. Some years later, noted Lincoln reenactor Fred Priebe encouraged Walker to consider portraying Davis so that audiences could get a more balanced view of the war.
Walker began depicting Davis and soon was in demand. He has appeared throughout Ohio, and performed in Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and New Mexico.
Davis will be located in the Civil War area at Stone's Trace Pioneer Festival, on September 6th and 7th, 2025.
