This mural embraces the landscape, the history and the people of Mattoon. For years, numerous trains per day intersected at the two main lines in the center of town. The narrative of two trains arriving at the intersection at the same time and knowing which will be allowed to go first is a symbol of the civility in a community with a 150 year history of stability. Lincoln and Douglas walk alongside the prairie and discuss rather than debate. The skater weaves gracefully without disrupting the pedestrians. The prairie grows adjacent to the brick walkway and a distant field of corn, centered by the Lone Elm tree that stood for hundreds of years as a guidepost for travelers. The figures in the painting, (except Lincoln and Douglas), are all Mattoon area residents from the past or the present. The Essex house was the original depot and hotel of Mattoon. Dedicated August 29th, 2009.