Gallipolis Revives America’s Historic Guest Tour: A 200-Year-Old Event Comes Alive

A major historical event was restaged in Gallipolis on Thursday. Back on May 22, 1825, General Lafayette arrived in Gallipolis as part of his tour. the America's Guest Tour .

Back then, Lafayette was the sole remaining general from the Revolutionary War. This journey, lasting over a year and covering 24 states, provided Americans with an opportunity to express their gratitude to the general for his role in securing victory and independence for them.

General Lafayette came to Gallipolis by ship on Thursday, greeted by a sizable gathering of people—mirroring the events from precisely two centuries prior.

Local authorities have been engaged in planning this reenactment over the past two years, with Michael Halbert casted to play the role of the renowned general.

Holding this position has allowed me to gain deeper insights into him," Halbert stated. "He was truly an exceptional individual who lived ahead of his era. Throughout his life, he fought for highly refined and noble ideals.

In the past, Governor Jeremiah Morrow of Ohio welcomed Lafayette to Gallipolis. Two hundred years later, Governor Mike DeWine performed a similar gesture.

"I genuinely enjoyed researching Governor Morrow to understand his background and discovered that he followed a comparable journey that led him to the governor’s office," DeWine stated.

Chuck Schwan, who acts as the executive director for the American Friends of Lafayette, pointed out several parallels between the nation’s circumstances today and those from 1825.

The significance of this tour cannot be overstated at that time. It mended our nation, as we faced some internal issues. Our unity had faltered, but Lafayette reignited those patriotic sentiments," Schwan stated. "Our aim is for everyone to grasp that this individual embodied the idea that all individuals are born with equal rights and that collectively, we form one American entity.

Starting from Gallipolis, the tour follows the Ohio River upstream to Marietta and continues to Wheeling.