The Illinois Leader

Upper Dixie regards from southern IL
Monday, February 09, 2004

First off, I would like to say that for several months I have enjoyed reading the Illinois Leader. I find it a most refreshing change from the usual on-line publications.

Moving on to my reason for writing, this week I enjoyed a piece written by a Ms. Robinson from Tuscola, I believe. Her article was about downstaters ["GUEST OPINION: You may be a Downstater if...," February 4].
I would like to send a huge, most sincere and heartfelt salute and rebel yell to this lady. Her article was most well written and voiced truthfully the way a lot of "downstaters" have felt, with all likelihood, since Illinois became a state.

The world only knows of Chicago and Springfield. It knows little if anything at all about the large number of hard-working classes that populate that area south of I-80. Unfortunately the governor wouldn't even know southern Illinois even exists, except that we pay our taxes - which in turn pay his salary.

Ms. Robinson made a most excellent point about southern Illinois that I wish would happen. A very large number of us in this part of the state would have little or no problem with seceding from the State of Chicago and becoming part of Kentucky.

In fact, probably very few upstaters are aware that when Lincoln campaigned he had little support from the southern sector of our state.

I bet even fewer are aware that one Southern Illinois county actually did secede from the state, and mustered the troops for Co, G 15th Tn CSA. Read the book, Illinois Rebels. One will learn much that still applies today.

There are great similarities between the State of Chicago and that horrible war from so many years ago and to the State of Chicago today. Folks from the State of Chicago come down our way for the natural beauty, the fishin' and huntin', excellent down home culinary delights, and a warm and friendly treatment from the locals.

Of course, some leave their rubbish and talk bad about us as soon as we are out of earshot, thinking us hick, or worse, but that is far less worse than the way our governor treats us.

So, in closing I would say that those of us way downstaters - from I-70 and way further south - are most proud of our being known as Upper Dixie. Why even Southern Living Magazine, one of the most famous publications in America, refers to southern Illinois as Upper Dixie. That is something we are most proud of!
Ms. Robinson, thank you for putting into words what thousands of us have failed to say before. We gladly follow your lead. Warmest "Upper Dixie regards" to you and yours.

T. Warren
Bridgeport