Southern Illinois took place in Williamson County between 1839 and 1876. This was unusual, as crime was almost non-existent in Illinois during its frontier years prior to this period of lawlessness. In 1858, Abraham Lincoln ran for the U.S. Senate against Stephen A. Douglas. A debate was held in seven towns in Illinois, one being near Jonesboro. Many of the people living in Southern Illinois were first- or second-generation Southerners. Cairo, Illinois, at the southern tip where the Ohio River joins the Mississippi, was of strategic importance. On either side of the rivers were states which, despite remaining in the Union, had
Big Rib River Big Rib River The Big Rib River is a river in central Wisconsin. It originates in northeastern Taylor County at Rib Lake, and flows into Marathon County where it joins the Wisconsin River. "Rib River" is a translation of the Native American name. The Big Rib River flows through Rib Falls then to Marathon City, before it converges into the Wisconsin River at the northeast face of Rib Mountain. The Dells of the Big Rib River, below Goodrich, are believed to be the rapids where Father René Menard disappeared in 1661, which attempting to reach a band of Huron Indians