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Madison County Historical Society MCHS News March 2013 Opening Doors to Madison County History Vol. 1, No. 2 January, 2013 Vol. 1, No. 1

715 N Main Street EMANCIPATION AND IN MADISON COUNTY Edwardsville, IL 62025 By Charlotte E. Johnson One hundred and fifty years ago, on Hours: January 1, 1863, President Wed-Fri 9 am - 4 pm issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The Sunday 1 pm - 4 pm proclamation stated, “that all persons held as Group Tours Available slaves, within the rebellious states, are and henceforth shall be free.” But the Free Admission Proclamation only freed those slaves in states that had seceded from the Union, and Museum Phone: freedom was contingent upon a military 618-656-7562 victory by the Union. Library Phone: For the first time “men of color” were 618-656-7569 allowed to join the and Navy. In

Illinois, the 29th Colored Infantry was formed Web Address: under Governor Yates. The all-colored MadCoHistory.org regiment was officially sworn in on April 24, 1864. Many of these men were lost at the Lyman Trumbull (1813-1896) E-mail: misguided . Over the next [email protected] two and a half years over 200,000 colored men served the Union including men from forever after neither slavery nor involuntary About Us: Madison County. servitude would exist within the United States. The MCHS museum The continuing war left Lincoln and others Lyman Trumbull, a Senator from Alton complex consisting of a to ponder what would happen after the war. who served 1855-1873, was the author of the modern archival The Republican Party then drafted a Emancipation Proclamation as well as much library, the 1836 Weir constitutional amendment which passed in of the reconstruction legislation after the House Museum and the Senate by a two-thirds majority on April 8, Civil War. the Helms Collection 1864. By December 18, 1865 the required Center, is owned and three-quarters of the states had ratified the introduced the final operated by the non- Thirteenth Amendment which insured that bill to end slavery profit Madison County in the District of Historical Society with Columbia. They assistance from MARCH - APRIL CALENDAR were both friends Madison County. Began February 20 of Lincoln. “If I Fall, My Grave Shall Be Made in Alton”

The museum and Lovejoy’s Journey from Minister to Martyr library offer insight Owen Lovejoy, and resources for right, was an Continuing through March abolitionist leader exploring the history Tube Sock Palooza! - Identifying the and brother to and people of Madison photographs of Richard “Dick” Norrish Elijah P. Lovejoy. County. Continued on page 4

1 MCHS BOARD Gary Denue, Pres ARCHIVAL LIBRARY SPOTLIGHT Miriam Burns, Vice-Pres By Mary Westerhold, Archival Research Manager Arnold Meyer, Treas Cindy Reinhardt, Sec African American Resources So let’s talk about our resources. One Donna Bardon of the most unique items we have is a small Norma Glazebrook at the MCHS Library booklet often referred to as the Mae Grapperhaus There are two things to note about Murray Harbke MCHS resources for African American “Emancipation Register.” The contents of Petie Hunter History at the Archival Library: this booklet are noted by this statement on Russell Marti the first page “A Register of Papers Jeff Pauk Marilyn Sulc (1) We have resources - books, Belonging to Free Persons of Colour 1831.” magazines, family histories, cemetery While was a free state, African Joyce Williams information, photos, etc. Sue Wolf had to register on entering a (2) We need more family histories, county. There are three of these books MUSEUM AND photos, etc. We want to know from different time periods. LIBRARY STAFF your story! continued on page 8 Suzanne Dietrich Director

Mary Westerhold MUSEUM SPOTLIGHT Archival Research Mgr. By Jenn Walta, Curator

LaVerne Bloemker Archival Research Asst. Lovejoy Exhibit officer and injuring another. A mob pulled Carol Frisse Elijah Parrish Lovejoy was born in a small him from his cell and burned him alive. No Archival Research Asst. one was charged. In the wake of McIntosh’s Maine town on November 8, 1802. He grew Karen Stoeber up knowing absolute right and wrong. By four death Judge Luke Edward Lawless declared Archival Research Asst. years of age, Elijah’s mother had already that Elijah Lovejoy and other newspapers like

Jenn Walta taught him to read the Bible. That rigid the Observer were actually at fault for Curator structure profoundly influenced him later McIntosh’s death. The Lovejoy newspaper in life. plant was later vandalized, the VOLUNTEERS Lovejoy travelled to Alton by printing equipment smashed and There are abundant and way of Boston, New City, the pieces thrown in the river. varied opportunities for Hillsboro (Illinois), and Later that year, in July, the volunteers at either the St. Louis. Elijah opened a Lovejoy family relocated across museum or the archival private classical high school in the river to Alton where The Alton library. Please call if St. Louis that offered a kind of Observer began publication in interested. education that was typically not September. Although a Free available on the edge frontier. State, Lovejoy found resistance at MEMBERSHIPS In 1830, he purchased a stake nearly every turn in the Illinois Several membership in the Saint Louis Times and town. In November of 1837, levels are available to became an editor at the Lovejoy was killed defending his those interested in supporting the work of periodical. fourth printing press. He was preserving Madison Lovejoy sold his stake less buried on his 35th birthday. County history through an than two years later and In death, Elijah Lovejoy became a MCHS membership. enrolled in Princeton Elijah Lovejoy’s silhouette martyr for First Amendment Memberships run on the Theological Seminary. and signature (MCHS) Rights the freedom of the press calendar year, Jan 1-Dec Thirteen months later, Elijah and freedom of speech. The 31. Applications are arrived back in St. Louis and became an Lovejoy Monument in Alton’s city cemetery available on our website, editor for the religious newspaper, The Saint stands as a testament to his legacy and at the MCHS Museum or Louis Observer. During the period of 1834- importance place in American History. at the Archival Library. 1835, the newspaper shifted its attacks from Opening in February, Madison County’s the Roman Catholic Church to slavery. At new exhibit explores the life of Reverend PUBLICATIONS first, Lovejoy avoided a radical stance against Elijah Parrish Lovejoy and the lasting slavery, but his editorials reveal that as the impression of the struggles and sacrifice he MCHS NEWS months passed, his anti-slavery beliefs 6 issues annually made in defense of basic freedoms Cindy Reinhardt, Editor became more pronounced. guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. Artifacts In the spring of 1836, St. Louis was a featured in the exhibit include a pianoforte WEB SITE powder keg waiting to blow. Francis and dishes owned by the Lovejoy family as Find us after March 15th McIntosh, a mulatto man who worked on the well as contemporary objects related to the at:: MadCoHistory.org boats, was charged with killing one police memory of his martyrdom.

2 RECENT MCHS NEWS Tube Sock Palooza! MCHS Book Will Celebrate Thanks to everyone who has visited our Tube Sock Madison County Bicentennial Palooza exhibit! Over 400 individuals have been identified in the over 800 photographs we have MCHS is proud to announce the coming available. We still need your help since most of the publication of a new pictorial history created in photographs have at least two people in them (that’s celebration of Madison County’s Bicentennial. The over 1600 individuals). There are plenty of unknown manuscript was recently completed by Archival faces to identify. Come in and bring friends and family Research Manager Mary Westerhold using MCHS’s to help! Below is another photo from the Norrish photograph collection. The anticipated publication Collection where identification is needed. date for Madison County is May 27, 2013. The book is being published by Arcadia Publishing, a company that specializes in pictorial histories for local communities across the country. Local Arcadia titles include Edwardsville, Collinsville, Leclaire, Alton, and Route 66 in Madison County. Most of these titles are available at the MCHS gift shop at a discounted price for MCHS members. MCHS members will also be able to purchase the new book at a discounted price.

Beware the Ides of March? Not at MCHS where we are looking forward to our new web site launch on that date! Look for the new MCHS web site March 15th at mchsnews.org

“FLAT SYDNEY” VISITS “FLAT ROBERT”

The Madison County Historical Society had an unusual visitor in February. “Flat Sydney” stopped by to visit the museum’s life-sized cutout of Robert Wadlow, which one could think of as “Flat Robert.” Flat Sydney is part of a literacy program called “Flat Stanley” used by teachers all over the country. Students make a “flat” version of themselves and send it out into the world in search of adventure. Sydney, the granddaughter of Tom and Donna Bardon, sent her flat self to Edwardsville from Kansas City. While in Illinois, Flat Sydney has also been photographed at Cahokia Mounds, at the Brooks Catsup bottle, the Gateway Arch, the Mississippi riverfront, and other local sites. All of the adventures are recorded in a booklet of photos with captions and will be returned to the real Sydney in a month or so...or whenever Sydney’s “Mimi and Boppy” are worn out from all the adventures!

At right are photos of “Flat Sydney” during her visit to the Madison County Historical Museum

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SLAVERY IN EMANCIPATION & SLAVERY IN MADISON COUNTY MADISON COUNTY EXAMPLES OF 1819 John Jones A Selected Chronology “BLACK CODES” OF ILLINOIS (Blumfield) was a

By Charlotte E. Johnson  The laws required any freed born man who coming into the state to register at the was born in North 1787 Carolina. He moved county seat, pay a bond and have Article VI of the Northwest to Alton to marry his references. Ordinance prohibits wife. He was so up- slavery and involuntary  Under these laws blacks would be servitude in the Northwest set because of the Territory, which includes fined if they helped anyone without Illinois Black Codes Illinois. However, Arthur St. their freedom papers. that he moved to Clair, territorial governor,  Negroes had to have a “pass” to be Chicago and vowed interprets Article VI so that ten miles from where they live. to have them those who currently hold changed. He wrote slaves may continue  They had to pay a fine if more than John Jones (Blumfield) to do so. three Negroes gathered for a party. and published a (Courtesy of C. Johnson) small pamphlet,  No slave or servant could pass money President Thomas Black Laws of Illinois…and Why They without consent of their owner. Jefferson sent James Should be Repealed. He was a trained Lemen to help prepare the  No black or mulatto person or Indian tailor and became very wealthy. His lob- people for Illinois’ coming could give evidence against a status as a free state. bying efforts were influential in the repeal white person. of these laws by the Illinois legislature in 1865 1813 He and his wife were active and suc- Territorial legislation MAY 1, 1870 cessful Underground Railroad Station prohibits further migration There were many celebrations after of free Negroes into Illinois Managers. He later served as a Cook the passing of the Emancipation Procla- and allows indentures. All County Commissioner. Negroes in the territory are mation, the repeal of the Black Codes, th th th required to register with and the passing of the 13 , 14 and 15 the Clerk of the county of amendments. common pleas of the At one celebration in May, 1870, Dr. county in which they reside. John H. Weir (original owner of MCHS’s Weir House mu- For Madison County, this seum) was was Edwardsville, Illinois. called upon to Anyone who had freed a speak. The peo- Negro in Illinois had to pay ple knew that $1,000 bond and a free Negro had to obtain a the doctor had certificate testifying that always been a they were free. red-hot abolition- ist. He said that

“this day was 1815 Twenty Negroes register among the hap- as free persons in Madison py days of his County. Sixty-nine register John Weir (MCHS) life to know that as indentured servants. the institution no longer existed in the

United States.” Also, “That it had been his

dream of his youth that he might live to see the institution of slavery done away from the fair pages of American history.”

Continued on page 5

4 Continued from page 4 THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD 1818 The other side of slavery in Madison founded Hunterstown (now part of Alton Illinois becomes a state, County was the monumental activities of near St. Mary’s Church), and his friend adopting a constitution which prohibits slavery and the Underground Railroad. UGRR was a Weiglar were fearless UGRR conductors. but network of people who assisted “Freedom Their route was mainly from St. Louis to permits the indenture Seekers” on their way north to freedom. Alton, then north through Shields Branch. system. Around 1830 these efforts increase and Major Hunter would bring some “goods” become more organized. The “conductor” home under his buggy seat. was a person who plotted the course 1819 They both worked with “Mr. Shadow,” a Future Illinois Governor (route) of escape. The “station” was a site freed Negro that was hired to stay in the Edward Coles (1822-1826) or landmark where runaways could be shadows of the buildings on Broadway. migrates from Virginia, sheltered before moving on to the next sta- His job was to be watchful for Freedom manumitting (freeing) his tion. The “station master” was a person in Seekers who hide on the boats coming to own slaves en route and giving each head of a charge of the hiding place. Alton and take them to Mr. Weiglar’s medi- family 160 acres. The land We may never know everyone who cine shop at Central and Broadway which was located in what is now was involved or all of the routes. Madison had a coal connected to three other Knox County, but was then County was a beehive of activities. On coal . part of Madison County. He was appointed Land paper the routes look like a spider web. A number of free blacks lived in Registrar by President These routes connected with other routes Hunterstown. Hunter was the only land- Monroe. in other counties and states. This was very owner who would rent to Elijah P. Lovejoy. The state passed a series dangerous work. Major Hunter, who of restrictive laws, known as the “Black Codes.” These laws govern every aspect of the lives of OTHER UGRR ROUTES & CONDUCTORS Negroes in the state. Thomas Dimmock – Elijah Dimmock (his allowed her to work and purchase her own son, Thomas below) had a windowless room freedom. She was very well respected and built on the back of his shop where they was allowed to take people to church could hide people until they could be moved meetings. In 1825 she took 11 families to a up Little Piasa meeting at an Creek.Thomas area near hired Scottie today’s Brooklyn, Johnston to Illinois. There rebury Lovejoy she founded on a plot Freedom Town. owned by In 1829 Rev Paul Dimmock and Quinn organized named Isaac the people into Kelly as the an Underground first trustee to Railroad station. watch over She then brought Lovejoy’s him to Alton grave. It was where he orga- Dimmock who nized some Edward Coles (1786 – 1868) pushed for the people into the (MCHS) state Lower Alton monument in Thomas Dimmock (Courtesy “Mother” Priscilla Baltimore AME Church. 1822 honor of of Cathy Bagby) (Courtesy of Charlotte Johnson) She next trav- On December 5th, Lovejoy. elled with him to Governor Coles called for Rocky Fork where he organized some the legislature to abolish Priscilla Baltimore was the Freedom Seekers into a group. This group slavery in Illinois. of the near west. Her master, who was also became Rocky Fork Bethel AME Church. her father, was a Methodist minister in This established an AME underground Kentucky. He sold her to a Methodist railroad route from St. Louis, MO to Jersey minister from St. Louis. The new minister County. Continued on page 6 5 Continued from page 5 THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

1823 Rev. Erasmus Green came to Sugar A meeting of anti-slavery Creek (Rocky Fork) area in the late 1850s. citizens was held at the His father was courthouse in part of the Edwardsville, Illinois Methodist Movement in the South. 1824 Preacher In March, Governor Coles Green in 1863 was sued for manumitting worked to or- his slaves. He was out of ganize the state when the “Black group that Codes” were passed, but Rev. Paul he was clearly in violation Quinn had of the Black Laws. He was formed earlier found guilty in the lower into Bethel courts. The verdict was AME Church. later overturned by the He enlisted State Supreme Court. He Rev. Erasmus Green into the Union was ordered to pay the Army in 1863, James Lemen, Jr. (Courtesy of Black Pioneers) bond of $1,000 per person. returning home (Courtesy of C. E. Johnson) in 1865. On Rev. Green’s farm was a mes- sage well which Freedom Seekers used as Klingel House, in Edwardsville. It 1836 a landmark to find his house. continued on to the Three-Mile House Elijah Lovejoy moves his north of Edwardsville and next to press to Illinois Rocky Fork is an area west of Godfrey, Springfield. Rev. Lemen Sr. and Rev. Illinois that became an UGRR community. John Mason Peck were responsible for the In 1830 it was an organized AME Church beginning of route. Later members of the Alton AME the Colored Church purchased land there in order to Baptist help with these activities. Don Alonzo Churches in Spaulding, a surveyor, allowed Freedom Illinois. Seekers the opportunity to stay and work or to move on. Some stayed. In 2000 and Old Rock 2005 the Rocky Fork area was accepted House, Klingel House, above by the U. S. National Park program pictured on (Courtesy C. E. Johnson) Network to Freedom. This program page 7, was identifies and verifies UGRR sites and the site of the activities. The nominations were prepared first anti-slavery and submitted by Charlotte E. Johnson meeting in the and Reneè Johnson. State of Illinois. The house was John Mason Peck (MCHS) James Lemen Sr. was asked by built in 1834 for President Thomas Jefferson to help pre- Rev. T. B.

pare people for Illinois coming in as a free Hulbert, pastor Three Mile House circa 1935. 1837 state. One of his efforts was in of Upper Alton (Courtesy Joan Evers) The Illinois Anti-Slavery establishing anti-slavery churches. These Congregational Society is organized at an churches were all under the umbrella of Church. The October meeting in Alton, Christ Church’s Friends of Humanity- house was a known UGRR site. In the Illinois. This was orga- Abolitionist Baptist. Every member had to basement there was a huge fireplace on nized by Elijah P. Lovejoy sign a contract that they would not keep each end of the building. One had a and Rev. John Mason any one against their will. In Madison tunnel which went south to a ravine behind Peck. Later Lovejoy was County it was Bethel Meadow Church near the building. The other went north two killed by a mob in Alton. Collinsville. Bethel Meadow Church was blocks to a house on Judson Street. These built high off the ground so that there tunnels were both closed when Clawson would be room for someone under the Street was constructed. It is said that

flooring. One of the Lemen UGRR Routes many people used this house. These Continued on page 7 was from Collinsville, to the tunnels of the routes led to Springfield. 6 Continued from page 6

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD 1839 The Wood River Colored Baptist Association and Friends for Humanity were formed to oppose repressive laws that were directed at the Illinois Negro population. The Association supported the establishment to enact laws “to establish schools for colored children.” Ridge Old Rock House, Corner of College and Claw- Prairie Church, Mt. Zion, son in Alton (C. E. Johnson) (Pin Oak) is one of the founding churches At one time the school had 200 students. Rev. John Livingston was the pastor and the only ordained colored minister in Illinois.

1850 The Fugitive Slave Act was John M. Palmer (MCHS) passed by the U.S. John M. Palmer was a lawyer and a Major legislature. This permitted General in the Civil War. He was the military slaveholders to recapture governor of Kentucky and then 15th Governor and return slaves. of Illinois. Before he joined the military he was a lawyer in Alton, Illinois. As a UGRR conductor, his station was the bridge over 1853 the west branch of Wood River Creek and Amanda Kitchen was Shipman Road. Today, Shipman Road is brought to Alton by her half called Wood Station Road. -brother to free her. He left her with some relatives Palmer was in Alton one day and saw a and told them he would reward billboard for an escaped slave. return with her free papers. Somehow Palmer knew the route the man This didn’t happen. would take. He mounted his horse and Sometime later, Amanda hurried out to his station. After some time he married. The slave saw the man walking up Wood River Valley. catchers found her. Isaac Kelly (Courtesy of Committee of Black Palmer gave the sign of a friend. The man Although her husband pled Pioneers of the Alton Museum) returned the greeting. Palmer put him on a with them not to take her horse. Along the way they stopped at a away, they demand friend’s house that was able to remove a Isaac Kelly was a successful barber in Alton, $1,200. The money was Illinois. A staunch abolitionist, he served as Continued on page 8 raised from donations, one of the organizers of the Brothers of loans and Amanda’s Friendship which was a fraternal order savings. The citizens of dedicated to UGRR activities. Kelly’s UGRR Alton helped purchase her routes were from his home on George Street freedom. along the pathways of the Illinois River and straight to Springfield. His was a Masonic abolitionist route named “North Star” for the 1863 Masonic Lodge in Chicago. Kelly was a well- The Emancipation respected community leader and was named Proclamation is issued by by Thomas Dimmock as the first trustee of President Abraham the Lovejoy grave site. Lincoln. Iron collar with bells worn by Ben Brown (Courtesy of C. E. Johnson) Continued on page 8 7 Continued from page 7 UNDERGROUND RAILROAD (continued from p 7)

band of steel the man had around his neck. had tried to escape. He stayed with Dr. The band had a rod along each side of the Brown until his neck was healed. Then he head. There was a bell on the end of each moved out on his own. He lived, married rod. The collar had eaten into the man’s and died in Brighton. The collar is in the neck and his neck was the size of his head. possession of Dr. Brown’s family. The man Palmer took the man to Dr. Brown in took the name of Ben Brown. Brighton. There they learned that the man had been on the run from Mississippi for Special thanks to historian Charlotte E. three months, holding the bells so they Johnson for these articles on emancipation, wouldn’t ring. This wasn’t the first time he slavery and the UGRR in Madison County.

ARCHIVAL LIBRARY SPOTLIGHT (continued from p 2)

We hold the original of this book along have a family story to share? It does not with copies of all three books. In addition, need to be a story that spans several we loaned the original book to the Madison generations. What about your memories County Circuit Clerk’s office for digitizing of growing up? If it is a written history, so you can search all three books online at we would love a copy. If it is an oral http:// history, come in and talk to us. Are there madisoncountycircuitclerk.contentdm.oclc family photos? We can scan them and give .org/. them back to you so you don’t need to give More generally, we have information up the originals since we all know what a 1865 The Illinois General from many sources including manuscripts, treasure family photos can be. Assembly repeals the magazine articles, photos, family histories, Remember that we are a repository for state’s black laws and be- and books. One of our best resources for ALL of Madison County, not just one comes the first state to helping us increase our collection has been community. We know there are many ratify the Thirteenth former MCHS Board Member, Charlotte Madison County stories to tell and we’d Amendment to the U. S. Johnson, whose article appears elsewhere like to hear them. So stop at the Archival Constitution which in this newsletter. Library for a visit to see what we have to abolishes slavery in the Unites States. Now to my final point. We need your help you in your research and share your help to increase our collection. Do you stories with us.

715 N. Main Street Edwardsville, IL 62025

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