IL-3724
May 14–17, 2008 (including Saturday)
Must commit to 1 day
In September 1858, two men met in a small grove of trees in Jonesboro, Illinois to debate the future of our country. Today that grove of trees is part of the Shawnee National Forest. Earlier, the tall man had challenged the incumbent to a series of fifty debates. Stephen Douglas belonged to the Democratic Party and had been Illinois’ senator since 1847. Abraham Lincoln belonged to the new Republican Party, a political party formed to fight the western expansion of slavery. In the end the two men agreed to hold seven debates across the state; Jonesboro was the third debate.
Because the argument between the North and South over slavery was becoming increasingly hostile, the 1858 debates in Illinois caught the attention of the whole country. Douglas had selected Jonesboro because Union County was made up largely of southern Democrats. In reference to anticipated southern sympathy of the crowd, Lincoln began, “Did the Judge talk of trotting me down to Egypt to scare me to death? Why I know this people better than he does. I was raised just a little east of here. I am a part of this people.”
The Shawnee National Forest will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas Debate this year. In addition, next year the whole country will be celebrating Mr. Lincoln’s 200th birthday. We would like to commemorate the region’s rich cultural heritage through the creation of a quilted wall hanging and are looking for volunteers to help us. These quilts are used to tell the story of the Shawnee National Forest and are prominently displayed for our forest visitors. Please bring your scissors and thread, (and sewing machine and cutting wheel) and help us capture Abraham Lincoln’s visit to the Shawnee Hills of southern Illinois.
Number of openings: ~15
Special skills: No special skills required
Minimum age: 10 years old; under 18 with a responsible adult
Facilities:Free camping at Forest Service Johnson Creek Campgound 10 miles west of Murphysboro, campground has water and pit toilet but no showers; Lake Murphysboro State Park has flush toilets, showers, dump station, boat launch, and concessions; Kinkaid Village Marina has a restaurant, camping, laundry, dump station, and many other amenities; motels in Murphysboro and Carbondale
Nearest towns: Project in Murphysboro; Carbondale, 7 miles; Jonesboro, 25 miles; Marion, 30 miles
Applications due: March 12, 2008