 This is the strangest thing. I had no idea. Abraham Lincoln considered joining the Donner Party to go to California on the Oregon Trail. No, it's not a political party, folks. The Donner Party, not at all. He stayed in Illinois because he had just had a child, and his political career was just getting going. So, folks, if you don't know about the Donner Party, you should find out why. It's a good thing Abe didn't go.