The Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area already covers 42 counties across Illinois. A resolution in Washington would add Freeport and Jonesboro, which were sites of the Lincoln-Douglas debates.
Sarah Watson is the Executive Director of the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition.
“We anticipate this will be the only time we would ever ask for an expansion of the heritage area,” Watson said.
Watson says there are some federal dollars available for the communities to promote their Lincoln sites.
“Being a part of a national heritage area means you are part of the National Park Service and that just adds some significance to how important the story is,” Watson said.
The resolution also includes Livingston County where Lincoln spent time as a young lawyer.
