Remembering Lincoln's Trot Down to Anna and Jonesboro

Stephen A. Douglas promised Abraham Lincoln he would "trot him down to Jonesboro," where Douglas thought he would get a cool reception. Indeed, Lincoln visited Jonesboro and Anna in 1858 for the historic Lincoln-Douglas Debate and made a lasting impression on the people of both towns. He arrived by train on Sept. 14, and remained until Sept. 16.
Darrel Dexter will share memories recorded later by those who met Lincoln during his three-day stay. Among the stories included are those from:
Joseph Eduard Terpinitz, a musician who was a Lincoln supporter, although he played in the band that gave Stephen A. Douglas a musical escort to the debate site.
Tilman Manus lived to be 104 years old, but enjoyed telling the story of hearing Abraham Lincoln speak in Jonesboro and his conversion from Democrat to Republican.
Judson Phillips, who at the age of 11 accompanied his father and Lincoln on a three-hour carriage ride touring the region.
These and others offer a unique perspective to share about Abraham Lincoln and help those "Looking for Lincoln" to understand him better.
Darrel Dexter was born in Cairo, Ill. A teacher and historian, he received the Delta Award in 2006 from the Southern Illinois University Friends of Morris Library for writing and publishing about southern Illinois history with distinction. He was selected as the 2011 recipient of the Olive Foster Teacher of the Year Award presented by the Illinois State Historical Society for "promoting awareness of state and local history in the classroom." He is the author of Bondage in Egypt: Slavery in Southern Illinois (2011) and A Trot Down to Egypt: The Lincoln-Douglas Debate in Jonesboro, Illinois (2008). Pulling the Sheets Off: The Second Ku-Klux Klan in Deep Southern Illinois will be released later this year by Saluki Press at Southern Illinois University. He lives in rural Jonesboro, Illinois, and teaches social studies at Egyptian Community High School in Tamms, Illinois.
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