Writing a biography of Lancasterâs 19th-century antislavery congressman, Thaddeus Stevens, âwas sort of a long-term planâ for historian Bruce Levine.
âHeâs kind of a nearly lifelong hero of mine,â says Levine, a professor emeritus of history at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and an author of several books on the Civil War era.
âI first learned about his existence, really, when I was in college and took a Black history course,â Levine says by phone. âI grew up in the era of the 1960s civil rights movement (and) have always been dedicated to that cause. And when I read about Thaddeus Stevens, everything I read about him appealed to me.â
Editor s note: This article was originally written in February 2017. Since then, John Moeller has become the chef-owner of The Greenfield Restaurant & Bar in Lancaster, and La Petite Patisserie has relocated to 621 Harrisburg Ave.
Presidents of the United States, including Lancasterâs own James Buchanan, enjoyed eating a variety of different foods during their time in office.
Some favored simple foods in their daily life as a contrast to what they might have eaten at state dinners or their own inaugural celebration meals.
With Presidents Day coming up on Monday, some people who know what presidents of the past liked to eat recall those favorite dishes of our chief executives.
LancasterHistory and James Buchananâs Wheatland may remain closed to visitors because of the pandemic. But the local history organization still has a full schedule of events to offer the public between now and May.
Presentations about Thaddeus Stevens, controversial monuments and Lancaster architecture, along with a Valentineâs Day fundraising gala and a special Presidents Day tour of Wheatland, are among the history organizationâs upcoming virtual offerings.
Tour of Wheatland
On Presidents Day, Monday, Feb. 15, visitors can not only take a virtual guided tour, via Zoom, of James Buchananâs home, but can eavesdrop on a conversation between the nationâs 15th president and a close friend from the Roosevelt family, says Patrick Clarke, director of Wheatland.