Jonesboro was the site for the third debate.  The biggest difference from the first two debates was that Jonesboro is located in the southern part of the state.  Lincoln headed towards unfriendly territory for this debate.  The other change was in attendance.  Jonesboro was a tiny town to begin with, with only around 800 residents, and its distance from major transportation made it difficult to get to.  This debate attracted around 1,500 viewers, much smaller than the first two debates.

Today, Jonesboro boasts just around 2,000 people.  It is the county seat of Union County in Illinois.  It sits squished between the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, not far from Kentucky and Missouri.  Both slave states in 1858.