The Forgotonian secession movement only lasted a few months, yet its impacts have been felt in western Illinois even after almost fifty years. The reviews of the movement are mixed. As you will see when reading through the outcomes, the success of the movement was not clear. Did it succeed? Were the aims of Gamm met? The first decade and a half after Gamm stepped down from power showcases the many ways that politicians and the public reacted to the movement.
Forgotonia today is a different place than it was in Gamm’s time. Though still a region lacking in metropolitan areas, Forgotonia boasts beautiful scenery, robust agriculture, and an independent spirit, just as it did 50 years ago. Some still question the efficacy and methodologies of Gamm’s odd and rambunctious campaign, while others fondly remember it as a unifying cause which brought together small, widely spread towns in a way not seen before in the region.