Douglas arrived on October 5, 1858, and was the guest of the hotel kept by B.A. Hall, which was Democratic headquarters. There were no railroads yet in Stark county, the "Little Giant" came in an open carriage, despite the rain, and was accompanied by Lieutenant Governor Payne, of Ohio. At the hotel he was greeted by a large number of enthusiastic democrats and was welcomed by Martin Shallenberger in a short but appropriate address, to which Mr. Douglas responded briefly. After dinner he was escorted to the public square, where a platform had been erected for the speaker. So dense was the crowd that some time was spent in getting through it to the speaker's stand, many crowding forward to shake Mr. Douglas' hand. Although hoarse from his long campaign and the rain was falling, he soon warmed to his subject and the multitude stood for an hour or more listening with rapt attention to his utterances.

The next day dawned and it was still raining, but the republicans seemed determined to make a greater showing than the democrats had done on the day previous. At an early hour delegations came pouring in from every township in the county, and even from the adjoining counties. It could easily have been seen, by the most casual observer, that if Douglas was the idol of the democracy, Lincoln was the popular hero of the Republican party, which was still in its swaddling clothes. This vast assemblage rendezvoused on the Kewanee road, a short distance north of the town, to await the coming of the speaker. Oliver Whitaker acted as chief marshal. Forming the people in a hoolow square, he instructed them to remain silent until he gave the signal for applause. Mr. Lincoln's carriage approached at a moderate gait, owing to the condition of the road, Mr. Whitaker waived his hand and the cheer that went up was so spontaneous and deafening that the horses attached to the carriage were frightened to such an extent that the safety of the occupants of the carriage was threatened. Says Mrs. Shallenberger: "Order being restored, the various delegations paid their respects to Mr. Lincoln and the ladies on horseback, decorated with state badges, rode up. The one representing Illinois was provided with a wreath of leaves and flowers, with which it is presumed she meant to crown or encircle the man they delighted to honor, but Mr. Lincoln very quietly said: 'Wear it yourself, dear, they become you better than me.'"

A procession was then formed--claimed by many to be the largest ever witnessed in the county up to that time--and Mr. Lincoln was escorted to the Virginia Hotel on East Main Street. Here he declined any formal greeting and remained in his room until dinner was ready. After dinner he was escorted to the public square, where he spoke from the stand that Mr. Douglas had spoken from the day before. And, as at the Douglas meeting, the audience stood in the rain to listen to him who two years later was called to the highest office in the gift of the people.

In the campaign of 1860 these two men were the leading opposing candidates for the Presidency of the United States. Lincoln was elected and Mr. Douglas laid aside all former differences of opinion and became a firm supporter of the administration.