Tag Archives: Scott Burton

Harry Loper (1908 race riot)

Harry Loper, a successful white restaurateur, owned one of the few motorcars in Springfield in 1908. So when Sangamon County Sheriff Charles Werner wanted to move two black accused murderers out of the county jail before a white mob stormed … Continue reading

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Race riot of 1908

At least 11 people died and many more were injured in connection with the Springfield race riot of August 1908. Another casualty was the image that Springfield, Abraham Lincoln’s home town, was immune to the racial discord that characterized American … Continue reading

Posted in African Americans, Disasters, Law enforcement, Markers, Race riot of 1908, Resources, Springfield | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments