Category Archives: African Americans

Race riot of 1908

Posted on October 12, 2013 by editor

Update: On Aug. 16, 2024, President Joe Biden designated an area along Springfield’s 10th Street railroad tracks the Springfield Race Riot National Monument. The new monument takes in the remains of five homes destroyed during the riot. The structures were … Continue reading →

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

Abraham Raymer (1908 race riot)

Posted on October 12, 2013 by editor

Charges against Abraham Raymer, 20, served as test cases to determine whether Sangamon County juries would convict anyone of serious crimes resulting from the the Springfield race riot on Aug. 14-15, 1908. The answer, authorities ultimately decided, was “No”. Raymer … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Law enforcement, Race riot of 1908 | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

George Richardson (1908 race riot)

Posted on October 12, 2013 by editor

George Richardson was a black man who was falsely accused of sexually assaulting Mabel Hallam, the white wife of a streetcar conductor, on Aug. 13, 1908. The allegation, reported in sensational fashion by local newspapers, helped instigate the Springfield race … Continue reading →

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Julius Rosenwald

Posted on October 12, 2013 by editor

This entry has been revised in light of new efforts to recognize Julius Rosenwald’s charitable and other contributions on both the local and national levels. Julius Rosenwald (1862-1932), a Springfield native, teamed with Richard Sears to build Sears, Roebuck & … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Education, Historic Sites, Lincoln, Abraham, Prominent figures, Schools and school districts, Social services | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Mack, Frank and Mary “Polly” Shelby

Posted on October 8, 2013 by editor

Mack and Frank Shelby, ages 27 and 29, respectively, bought a lot at the southwest corner of Third and Washington streets in 1826, according to the Early African American Population of Springfield Illinois by Richard E. Hart (2008). Mack was … Continue reading →

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Mariah Vance

Posted on October 5, 2013 by editor

Mariah Vance (1819-1904) is believed to have been a maid and housekeeper for Mary and Abraham Lincoln in Springfield from 1850 to 1860. She also was the alleged source of an inside look at the Lincoln family, published in 1995 as Lincoln’s … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Lincoln, Abraham | 3 Comments

William Walling’s article on the Springfield Race Riot

Posted on October 5, 2013 by editor

Journalist and socialist William English Walling and his wife, Anna Strunsky,  rushed to Springfield as soon as they heard of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot. “We at once discovered, to our amazement, that Springfield had no shame,” Walling wrote in … Continue reading →

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Springfield Survey, 1914

Posted on October 4, 2013 by editor

The Springfield Survey was a massive study of local schools, prisons, and other institutions undertaken in 1914 by the Russell Sage Foundation with the help of hundreds of local volunteers. The survey was initiated by a group of Springfield citizens who were … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Children, Education, Law enforcement, Local government, Medicine, Parks, Photos and photosets, Public health, Resources, Schools and school districts, Social services, Springfield, Springfield Survey | Tagged | 4 Comments

World War I Homecoming Celebration

Posted on October 3, 2013 by editor

Sangamon County honored its veterans of World War I with a daylong Homecoming Celebration on June 24, 1919. The event began with a parade that started in downtown Springfield and ended at Washington Park. The memorial service there was described … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Celebrations | Tagged | 2 Comments

Zion Missionary Baptist Church

Posted on October 3, 2013 by editor

Founded in 1838 as the Colored Baptist Church, Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 1601 E. Laurel St., is the third oldest black church in Illinois. “It was a sad period in history for the African American population,” Zion Missionary’s website says … Continue reading →

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