A Stop in the Land of Lincoln

The Colonel and I are history geeks as you know if you have been reading my blog for any amount of time. While we were visiting Missouri earlier this year, we crossed the Mississippi River into Illinois and checked out some of the bits of history there.

We happened to stumble across this gem...

…this rock with a plaque attached and these life-sized statues of Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas as well as a couple informational boards within a beautiful, shady park.

These items memorialized the third senatorial debate between Lincoln and Douglas which was held in Jonesboro, Illinois.

In 1858, Lincoln and Douglas participated in seven debates about the fate of slavery which were held in various cities in Illinois (a non slave state). The main issues of the debates were slavery extension into the territories of the United States. Douglas charged Lincoln stood for racial equality and Lincoln accused Douglas of being unfaithful to the intent of the framers of the Constitution by promoting states rights as a means to perpetuate slavery. Douglas argued that whites should decide for themselves whether or not to allow slavery, while Lincoln claimed slavery was immoral and should eventually be abolished. Douglas chose Jonesboro for the location of the third debate because of its southern sympathies.

This debate (as well as all of the others) lasted three hours and it was attended by less than 1500 people-the smallest crowd in the series of debates.

In the 1858 midterm election, Douglas would keep his Illinois Senate seat but Lincoln won national acclaim. He would win the U.S. Presidency two years later in 1860.

What a nice little memorial of history. You never know what you may find and learn when you travel the roads of this great country of ours.

Rockin' History in the Middle of the Mississippi River

When The Colonel and I were in Sainte Genevieve, MO in October of 2023, we had wanted to stop by an historical, natural landmark on our way back home but the weather was stormy and we were time constrained. So, when we left Ste. Gen. after the 18th Century wedding festivities this May, we made sure to stop by Tower Rock. The weather was perfect and we had plenty of time.

We made our way along the narrow, gravel road (pictured above). This road runs alongside the Mississippi River. We finally arrived at our destination (I had to remove a black bra from the sign before I took this photo).

Smack-dab in the middle of the Mississippi River is Tower Rock. It is also known as "Grand Tower" and is a rock formation and landmark island in the river. It is listed on the National Register of Historical Places. 

Over the centuries it has gone by several other names such as, Cap de Roche, Cap St. Croix, Croix la Tour, La Roche de la Croix, Rock of St. Cosme, Castle Rock and Devil's Tower.

Earliest mention of Tower Rock was in 1673 by French missionary Jacques Marquette. He wrote the rock was dreaded by the "savages" and a Manitou or demon lived there and it devoured travelers. 

Earliest European inhabitants of Tower Rock were River Pirates. In 1803, the pirate haven was destroyed by U.S. Army Dragoons from Fort Kaskaskia.

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark passed by Tower Rock on their Corps of Discovery adventure. Lewis stated, "Rivermen who passed it celebrated in a similar way as sailors crossing the equator, by raising drinks of spirits."

The Colonel and I stood along the Mississippi River admiring the majestic beauty of Tower Rock. The waters of the river were swiftly passing the rocky monument. There were huge tree trunks being carried along the strong current and there were some eddies swirling between us and the rock. We could see how this could be a hazard to navigation to those traversing the great river. 

We were very glad to have added Tower Rock to a stop along the way home this time. If ever you are near the town of Wittenberg, Missouri or across the Mississippi River in Grand Tower, Illinois, look to the middle of the river and enjoy the view of Tower Rock