The Underground Railroad in Illinois, Freedom Trails: 2 Legacies of Hope

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East St. Louis Race Riot Memorial
July 1-2, 2005
July 1-2, 2005; East St. Louis and St. Louis communities come together to lay to rest the ancestors that suffered the 1917 East St. Louis Race Riots.

Endangered Underground Railroad Sites
The Illinois preservation Agency estimates some five hundred properties in Illinois are associated with the Underground railroad..many are in poor condition.

Governor Touts Tourism
Gov. Blagojevish brings opportunity Returns to Southwestern Illinois. It consists of 5 primary goals to address economic and workforce development.

The Underground Railroad in Illinois
Illinois became a free state in the Union in 1818, neighboring the slave holding states of Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas and Missouri. Two major auctioning blocks were in Louisiana and St. Louis, Missouri. The Mississippi River shorelines were fertile ground for slaves seeking escape to freedom. Ohio, Indiana and Illinois reigned as having the most active lines that delivered fugitives from slavery to free destination sites.

Designated Illinois sites include:

The John Hossack . The John Hossack House is located at 210 W. Prospect St. in Ottawa, Illinois. It is a private residence and not open to the public. More information on the Hossack House is available here.
Note: The State has purchased the mansion.
Old Slave House: A legislative victory sparks hope for The Old Slave House
More on Old Slave House
The Owen Lovejoy House in Princeton. The Owen Lovejoy House is located on East Peru Street, near the corner of 6th Street. It is open to the public.
The Dr. Richard Eells House in Quincy located at 415 Jersey Street.

Freedom Trails, Legacies of Hope
African American tour guide map by Regions

Links & Bibliography:

Read suggested reference book, The Underground Railroad in Illinois by Glennette Tilley Turner
The Underground Railroad in the United States