Thompson Brothers Rock Art

The Thompson Brothers Rock Art is an inscribed rock located within Giant City State Park in Union County, Illinois. Four names are carved into the rock, all but possibly one of which were inscribed by Union soldiers or supporters during the Civil War. The two most prominent signatures belong to brothers Albert S. and T. W. Thompson; the former was a Union soldier, while the latter served as Deputy Provost Marshal and was responsible for locating Union deserters. Union soldier Thomas L. Bailey also carved his name into the rock; the fourth name, A. Parker, may have been either a fellow soldier or a resident of the area who added his name after the war. The rock was carved at a time when Union supporters and Southern sympathizers fought for control of southern Illinois, and as the Thompson family were among the most prominent Union supporters, it represents an attempt to physically claim the area for the North. The Confederate sympathizers' inability to deface the names signifies their gradual loss of power in the area. The rock is now one of the few surviving Civil War sites in Illinois.[2]

Overview of the site

Thompson Brothers Rock Art
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
One of the inscriptions
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Location	Giant City State Park, Makanda, Illinois
Coordinates	37°35′42″N 89°11′36″W
Area	Less than 1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built	1913-14
NRHP reference No.	78001193[1]
Added to NRHP	December 29, 2015

The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 29, 2015.[1]

See also

• Battery Rock, a Civil War site in Hardin County

References

1. "Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 12/28/15 Through 12/30/15". National Park Service. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
2. Wagner, Mark et. al. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Thompson Brothers Rock Art. Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, December 8, 2014.