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
Fox River (Little Wabash tributary) Fox River (Little Wabash tributary) The Fox River is a tributary of the Little Wabash River in southern Illinois. It rises in Jasper County to the southeast of Newton and flows south past Olney, then joins the Little Wabash at the northeast corner of Edwards County, near Mt. Erie. The river is in length. There is a smaller "Fox River" that is a tributary of the Wabash River in southern Illinois, entering the Wabash near New Harmony, Indiana. The following cities, towns and villages are in the Fox River watershed: The following counties are at least partially drained by the