Abraham Lincoln's Debut as a Country Singer

The year was 1849, and Marlinton, Pocahontas County was abuzz. Not with the usual sounds of pioneer life - choppin' wood, wranglin' varmints, and hollerin' at stubborn mules - but with the twang of an electric guitar and the unmistakable baritone of a tall, rail-thin feller with a stovepipe hat. Yessir, that was none other than Abe Lincoln himself, gracing the inaugural Marlinton First Pioneer Days with a performance that left the crowd scratching their sun-baked heads.

It all started with a peculiar contraption that Abe had brought along on the backs of two mules. A polished wooden box with shiny knobs and wires snaked out to a peculiar looking plank of wood with metal strings. The townsfolk, simple folk by and large, had never seen such a device. They huddled around, mutterings of "witchcraft" and "contraptions of the devil" swirling in the dusty air.

Undeterred, Abe, with a mischievous glint in his eye and a shock of wild hair escaping his hat, plugged the contraption into a strange metal contraption decorated with a bald eagle (a contraption he assured them was perfectly safe and most definitely not powered by demon fire). With a flourish, he slung the plank of wood over his shoulder and gave it a strum.

Silence. Then, a sound unlike anything ever heard in Marlinton. A loud, distorted twang echoed through the crowd. Abe, with surprising gusto for a man known for his somber pronouncements, launched into a rousing rendition of "Turkey in the Straw."

The crowd, initially bewildered, slowly began to tap their feet. Even Jebediah "Grumpy" Johnson, the town curmudgeon, couldn't help but bob his head a little. Abe, with increasing fervor, belted out the lyrics, his voice rich and surprisingly tuneful, and punctuated each verse with a fancy fingerpicking technique that left the onlookers wide-eyed.

By the end of the song, the crowd was roaring. Jebediah, a newfound twinkle in his eye, even yelled out for an encore. Abe, with a sheepish grin and a tug of his hat, obliged them with a rowdy rendition of "Oh! Susanna." The townsfolk, having overcome their initial shock, stomped their boots, clapped their hands, and even attempted some rather uncoordinated dancing.

As the last note faded, Abe unplugged his contraption (which he sheepishly admitted he called an "electric guitar," powered by a contraption even more confusing called a "battery") and announced with a wink, "Well folks, that there is a little somethin' I picked up down in New Orleans. Call it…innovation for the modern pioneer!"

The Marlinton First Pioneer Days may have been intended to celebrate the traditional ways of life, but thanks to Abe Lincoln's electrifying performance, it became a day that forever etched the memory of a strange new contraption and a president who wasn't afraid to embrace a little modernity, even if it meant rocking out on an electric guitar in the middle of nowhere.