MOUNT PULASKI — The Rev. Barbara Stroud-Borth was quite charmed with the banks designed to resemble Postville Courthouse that were distributed as souvenirs during the city of Lincoln’s 2003 Sesquicentennial celebration. Those cardboard banks came to mind when Stroud-Borth and fellow planner Jean Martin began looking for a souvenir for Mount Pulaski’s Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial celebration and the community’s 175th anniversary, which will take place in 2011.

The Postville banks were produced by Weyerhaeuser in Lincoln. Stroud-Borth contacted plant manager Ed Riehl to see if a similar likeness of the Mount Pulaski Courthouse could be produced.

Mount Pulaski Courthouse, located on the town square, is one of the few remaining original courthouses where Abraham Lincoln practiced law when he rode the Old 8th Judicial Circuit.

Since Kelly Robinson, who designed the Postville bank, has retired, Reihl contacted Weyerhaeuser designer Aaron Kodesh at the company’s Belleville office.

“I told him if he had the time and interest, I would be supportive to buying the printing plate and cutting die and the corrugated (cardboard) to produce it,” Reihl said.

Kodesh designed the piece using a number of photographs of the building taken by Phil Bertoni of Mount Pulski. A mock-up was made for Stroud-Borth, who approved the project.

With a red exterior and a white roof, the cardboard replica features the courthouse’s six distinctive chimneys. On one side of the roof is printed “Mt. Pulaski Courthouse Served Logan County & 8th Judicial Circuit 1848-1855. Mt. Pulaski, IL 175th Anniversary 1836-2011.”

Scott Hayes, a Weyerhaeuser production supervisor who lives in Mount Pulaski, delivered the printed sheets to the courthouse Thursday afternoon.

There, volunteers began punching the pieces out of the cardboard sheets and assembling them.

“It’s a little bit of an art,” said Weyerhaeuser production superintendent John Grimsley, “but once you’ve done one or two….”

Grimsley worked on the production end of the project with Weyerhaeuser’s general supervisor, Mike FitzHenry.

The project came together just in time for Mount Pulaski’s Abraham Lincoln birthday celebrations.

The souvenirs will be distributed for the first time Sunday, following the 2 p.m. re-enactment of the “1854 Cast Iron Tombstone Trial” at the courthouse.

The souvenirs also will be available at Mount Pulaski Courthouse between noon and 4 p.m. Tuesday, during an open house planned in honor of Abraham Lincoln’s 199th birthday.