Stand on the spot where President Abraham Lincoln debated against his opponent for the Illinois U.S. Senate seat in this leafy memorial park.
The Lincoln Memorial Park in Jonesboro is dedicated to President Abraham Lincoln and the stirring debate he raised against Stephen A. Douglas at this site in 1858. Walk through the charming gardens and stand alongside life-size bronze statues of Lincoln and his opponent. Learn about the event with an informative wayside exhibit and read historic plaques. Century-old trees provide a pretty background to this significant site in Illinois’ heritage.
Stroll through the park and look for the historical markers. Bronze statues of Lincoln and Douglas stand in debating poses on either side of a large limestone boulder. The park’s most historic memorial is a plaque set in stone that indicates the exact site of the debate. The 1958 Lincoln-Douglas Debates were a series of seven debates held throughout Illinois in heated contention for the state’s U.S. Senate seat. The third of these was held here in Jonesboro. Despite raising compelling arguments that would later go down in history, Lincoln lost the seat by a small margin. The national profile he earned from the legendary debates shaped his nomination and success in the 1860 presidential election.
Take a moment to reflect as you sit on the sheltered benches in the memorial courtyard and look out over the statues. Take photographs of the debating figures. An interpretive marker indicates the memorial’s place in the Looking for Lincoln heritage trail.
Bring a picnic to enjoy at the shelters in Lincoln Memorial Park. The picnic area is encircled by three walking circuits. Take a stroll along the looped pathways and find a selection of native and exotic tree species along the paved pathways. Visit the park’s large pond and you might spot turtles and flocks of resident geese as you walk.
Lincoln Memorial Park is located in northern Jonesboro, alongside the Shawnee National Forest’s Mississippi Bluffs Ranger Station. Parking is available inside the park, which is free to enter and open during daylight hours.
