New traveling exhibit: Journey to Freedom: Illinois’ Underground Railroad
September 26, 2024
Many Illinois communities and residents were part of the courageous effort to assist freedom seekers on the underground railroad. Many of them are featured in a new traveling exhibit unveiled today by the Looking for Lincoln and the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area called Journey to Freedom: Illinois’ Underground Railroad. The exhibit will be available and open to the public in Springfield at the Lincoln Public Library through November and then will be available to travel to different communities in the 43-county Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area.
This exhibit tells stories of freedom seekers, conductors and communities in Illinois that were part of the journey to freedom on the Underground Railroad as never told before.
“We are so honored to share this new exhibit with the community,” said Sarah Watson, executive director of Looking for Lincoln. “Many of these Illinois Underground Railroad stories have not been shared in one place. It is so inspiring to learn more about the bravery of all these multiracial people who took so many risks to fight against slavery for the basic rights for themselves and others.”
In the exhibit, viewers will learn more about the communities from Cairo through Springfield to Quincy and Chicago, that were stops on the Underground Railroad. Other featured areas are Brooklyn/Freedom Village, Miller Grove, Rocky Fork, Galesburg, Mount Hope, Jacksonville and New Philadelphia.
The exhibit also tells stories of freedom seekers like John and Eliza Little, who traveled barefoot from Tennessee through Illinois to Canada to gain their freedom, or conductors like Henry, who sometimes worked for Abraham Lincoln, and Mary Ann King Brown who helped slaves to freedom in the Springfield, Quincy and Galena areas.
This exhibit was made possible by the dedication of Looking for Lincoln staff members as well as a project advisory committee that included dedicated historians and memory-keepers who provided research and, in some cases, personal family stories.
“Our project advisory committee reviewed primary sources, narratives, and other information to tell the stories of the freedom seekers and their allies on the Underground Railroad in Illinois. We made a tremendous effort to tell stories which were inclusive of all parts of the state and showcased the agency of freedom seekers and the commitment of their allies. We believe we did a good job sharing as many stories as we could and we believe that this exhibit will help patrons better understand Illinois’ complicated relationship with slavery and the role the state played in Anti-slavery efforts,” said Brian Mitchell, who serves on the advisory committee and is the director of research and interpretation at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.
“The heroism on display in this exhibit is so moving,” said Misty Buscher, mayor of Springfield. “I am so grateful for Looking for Lincoln and all of the historians and volunteers who spent time putting this impactful exhibit together and launching it at our public library. I hope that our community members come to see it and share the experience with their friends and family. It will also be yet another great opportunity for tourists visiting to learn more about Springfield, our state and the bravery of our ancestors.”
The exhibit will be available and open to the public during regular business hours at Springfield’s Lincoln Public Library’s Lobby until November 30, 2024. There will be other programs available in October and November at the public library including:
• Jameson Jenkins and the Underground Railroad on October 21, 2024 at 6 p.m.
• The Presumption of Freedom: The Illinois Supreme Court and the Fate of Slavery in the Prairie State on October 28, 2024, 6 p.m.
• Songs of the Illinois Freedom Road on November 2, 2024 at 2 p.m.
For more information about these programs, you can learn more about these events at www.illinoisugrr.org
After the exhibition ends at the Lincoln Public Library the end of November, the traveling exhibit will be available to communities starting in the 43-county Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area. For more information about how to bring the exhibit to your community, please email info@illinoisugrr.org.
Looking for Lincoln would like to thank the individuals who made this exhibit possible. Project advisors are Reggie Guyton, Charlotte Johnson, Barry Jurgensen, Brian Mitchell, Owen Muelder, Barb Oehlschlaeger-Garvey, Greg Olson, Nancy Saul, Pam Smith, Anne Walker, and Samuel Wheeler. Memory Keepers Tony Burroughs, Charlotte Johnson, Renee Johnson, Terry Ransom, Christopher Reed, Glennette Tilley Turner, Anne Walker and Juliet E.K. Walker. Volunteers and image stewards Heather Bangert, Marynel Corton, Larry McClellan, Dr. Bruce Purnell, Marjorie Weir, and Kate Williams-McWorter.