The older woman died days later. They are pro-Trump, anti-abortion, virulently against gun control and distrust the coronavirus rules and the media (though after warming up they were very welcoming to us). WebThe unemployment rate in Monticello is 4.3% (U.S. avg. As you commemorate this anniversary, you have a splendid opportunity to renew your commitment to preserve the spirit which has forged America into a land of wonder. Its complicated, he added, because most people are friendly once they know him. I dont want my son raised down here, he said. Dozens of armed men took to the streets of Vienna and the surrounding fields, backed up by bloodhounds and spotters in low-flying planes. (These links will automatically appear in your email.). In Arberys death, an echo of the sundown towns that banned and threatened Black people. Illinois Route 37 (Broadway) crosses US 50 in the center of town, leading north 7 miles (11km) to Alma and south 15 miles (24km) to Dix. NBC 6s Phil Prazan reports. Vaughn and her grandmother were among the 50 or so people who turned out for the rally, along with about 25 counter-protesters. James Martin sold his house to Haneline. Nokomis. How many sundown towns remain? Sometimes entire counties went sundown, usually when their county seats did. A week or so later Latham gave himself up and pleaded guilty. Every sundown town needs to be asked to do three things to overcome its past. If so, attend its next meeting, after talking with its leader. Loewen, James W. Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism. Data for 1990 and 2000 is at census.gov via Census 2000.. Connections Indiana State of the midwest United States List Gallery Activity 1. Really, we got a good country, and I think there is probably some racism going on. But 60 years ago, there was a small collection of houses along that stretch of 7th Street, where the outer edges of Vienna bump up against Little Cache Creek. Were in Piatt County, not Macon County! Within hours, the cluster of Black homes along 7th Street were ablaze, with smoke and flames rising above the town. But he also believes his family should leave. They talked calmly about race. Article continues below. While the citys Black population has declined in the past two decades, Pekins total population also declined during that period. In 78, the first high school class graduated. I had Black people who took care of me through my childhood, he said. : Morton Underground Railroad conductor's 'heroic' story retold. But it came with a caveat: Go to work and come home, but don't stop in Pekin not for gas or anything else. Or check out the most ghetto cities and the most dangerous cities in Illinois. Martin met Abraham in Springfield in 1824. In 1990, just 26 Black residents lived in Pekin. Always recall that the overwhelming whiteness of a town or neighborhood might be an accident, that perhaps no African Americans ever happened to go there. We try to make TeenInk.com the best site it can be, and we take your feedback very seriously. There were hundreds of such towns, scholars say, reaching from New York to Oregon. 1840s In April 1841, the first county election was held, John Piatt was selected as the first sheriff. Winchester. Sundown towns are communities that for decades were "all white" on purpose. Even though proud to be overwhelmingly white, elite sundown suburbs try to avoid being known for it. Mr. Flippo started cooking some of our favorite Italian food in 1971. The sun sets over a field outside of Anna, Illinois. According to a 1984 article by historian Carl V. Hallberg for The Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society, Friederich was a regional "grand titan" for the Ku Klux Klan, and Strickfadden and Messner were fellow Klansmen. What about within the In an article in the Pekin Daily Times on Sept. 14, 2014, reporter Sharon Woods Harris wrote that the Pekin Human Rights Committeeworked to combat the citys racist reputation by hosting a diversity festival downtown. In 1964, founder of Allerton Park, Library and Mansion, Robert Allerton died. If your respondent says yes, then ask how they heard it, from whom, about when (year), etc. What about within the county? Sundown towns werent always all-white. Its not by law that Black people remain a tiny population in many towns, Dexter said. Take a drive around present-dayPekin and you will notice Confederate flags popping up all over the place., Who was Uriah Crosby? Protesters and counter-protesters prayed together. The average annual gross income in Buffalo is $31494. So long as their communities remain overwhelmingly nonblack, however, it is unclear whether African American families can prudently live in them. Documents the history of towns across the United States that exclude African Americans (and other racial/ethnic groups) after sundown. Anyone breaking the rules could risk arrest, a beating or worse. Salem is home to four buildings on the National Register of Historic Places: the Charles and Naomi Bachmann House, the Badollet House, the William Jennings Bryan Boyhood Home, and Grace Methodist Church. The article speculated that Pekin gained its reputation because of a pre-Civil War incident in which Black crewmembers of a riverboat became drunk and decided to take over the running of the town. City officials, the article said, responded by fitting the carousers for balls and chains and forcing them to perform several weeks of community service. Ask the librarian in charge of the local history collection if he or she knows anything about the absence of African Americans. Some old sundown towns are now integrated. Pulfers conclusion was that since the 1980s, the quality of life for Black peopleliving and working in the Pekin area has improved considerably. Well history lovers, class has started! the town was known as "Tom's Town" in honor of Thomas Bondurant. They are still serving this community today. History and Social Justice Website Copyright 2023, Using Lies My Teacher Told Me and Teaching What Really Happened, Resources for Teaching with Lies My Teacher Told Me, Teachers Corner: Teaching with Lies My Teacher Told Me, Contact Jim Loewen to Speak to Your Group, Causing Change With Lies My Teacher Told Me, Works Inspired or Influenced by Lies My Teacher Told Me, Useful Quotations about History and Social Justice, Native American Issues, Including the Explorers, Teaching Slavery, the Civil War, and Reconstruction, Civil Rights Movement to Modern Times: c. 1945 Now, Alphabetical Map of Sundown Towns by State, How to Research and Teach About Sundown Towns, Using Research Information to Help a Sundown Town Overcome Its Past, Loewens Work on Standardized Testing Used by Others, Embarrassing Questions about Standardized Tests. If you stop for gas, look for a well-lit gas station with security cameras. Robert Huston opened Huston and Company. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. Around here, almost no one talks openly about the violence that drove out Black residents nearly 70 years ago, or even whispers the name these places were given: sundown towns.. The Inter-Urban trolley line from Decatur to Champaign stopped running. Confirmed examples near Champaign County include Arcola, DeLand, Monticello and Paxton. The Monticello Railway Museum is one of the best places to visit in Illinois period. Horror in the heartland: Finding Americas sundown towns is easier than you might think By DETOUR Staff Updated August 08, 2022 4:13 PM Another of the men later pulls back his shirt to show that he now carries a .357-magnum revolver tucked into his jeans, worried about the unrest that occasionally flared during this years racial protests. Sundown towns dated back to the colonial days, when the ordinances and laws were also aimed at Native Americans. It was made up of 5 girls and no boys. Second, it must apologize for it. Monticello Rec. will take Late ball registration until spots are full. New Washington School was constructed in 1956. In 80, the first telephone service started. In his 2005 book, "Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism," sociologist James W. Loewen profiled Pekin as one of the 146 communities suspected of activities designed to keep Black people out of a community that, in the 1920s, was a hub of Ku Klux Klan activity in the area. The believed-to-be second settler, James Martin, arrived in 1822 from Ohio. People didnt want to talk about it before.. We mourn the loss of our friend and colleague and remain committed to the work he began. In 1951, during the heyday of Route 66, 3,500 whites rioted against a black man for trying to rent an apartment in town. The Rhoades Opera Houses first performance group was the McGinnis Gem Comedy Company. George Patterson and James Outten were the first school teachers to teach. Independent sundown towns range in size from hamlets like Alix, Arkansas, population 185, to large cities like Appleton, Wisconsin, with 57,000 residents in 1970. . To my amazement, twenty people came down, and they told me stories about every town around Decatur. Thats not including the Reagan letter. For them, race has become an issue twisted far beyond proportion, a cudgel for hypocritical liberals. WebMonticello is a city in Piatt County, Illinois, United States. Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how Stanford end up as the most Burgess & Cline was founded by L.C. In 1829, the Delaware Indian leader Buck moved into this area with his wife Manasea. is 6.0%). Monticello Ready-Mix opened in 1953. Black people had lived in and around Vienna since the late 1820s or early 1830s, said Dexter. The population was 5,138 at the 2000 This was located at the current location of Boka Shoppe on the northeast corner of Marion and Market, across from McDonald's. Thus, if a person says, Blacks were not allowed . 2018. Molly Parker Jul 15, 2020 Jul 15, 2020 Updated Nov 20, 2020; 0; WebSundown towns occur throughout central Illinois. His books include the American Book Award-winning Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your High School History Textbook Got Wrong and Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism. Soon more settlers arrived. Pressure from UU congregationssome of which moved to or formed in white suburbs in the 1960s precisely because they were homogeneouscan prompt communities to take these steps, especially when that pressure comes buttressed with solid information about their sundown past. Sundown towns are communities in which Black people were not welcome. Bear in mind that these folks dont want to say anything bad about their town if they can help it. Monticello is in Piatt County and is one of the best places to live in Illinois. WebA sundown town is a community that for decades kept non-whites from living in it and was thus all-white on purpose. Its before 9 a.m., and Ive already encountered more Abraham Lincoln-related memorials They get the same as the white people get!. Also interview senior citizens and longtime realtors. Its gardens were a botanic showpiece, a source of food, and an experimental laboratory of ornamental and useful plants from around the world. The Rhoades Opera House was built in 73. The rules of a sundown town were simple: Black people were allowed to pass through during the day or go in to shop or work, but they had to be gone by nightfall. However, Fisher, Mahomet, Tolono, Rantoul and Homer mentioned in the article and by Rohn Koester, who appeared before the Champaign County Board almost surely were sundown towns. In 93, the Monticello Womans Club was organized (Yes, I understand that has nothing to do with anything but, moving on now). Sundown Towns and Counties: Racial Exclusion in the South. Southern Cultures 15 (Spring 2009): 2247. (About one other town, Sadorus, mentioned in the article, I have no information other than the 1990 census, which shows a population of 469, all white. Vienna would almost certainly fall into that category. Monticello residents created a video portrait of their town by capturing video of people and places, and interviewing people about Monticello. In 1891, the first electricity was used. Farm prices back in 1917 were fabulous. The racial makeup of the city was 97.13% White, 0.72% African American, 0.30% Native American, 1.15% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.14% from other races, and 0.52% from two or more races. The population in 1980 was 4,753. A Black truck driver named Gideon recently had an experience in a sundown town when he was delivering a load in Vidor, Texas. For decades, Salem had signs on each main road going into town telling African Americans that they were not allowed in town after sundown. The median household income was $34,339 and the median family income was $42,070. But he estimates that after the fires, perhaps 50 people fled the town. It was something that was known, said James Davis, 27, a Black truck driver from the nearby town of Cairo, which is largely Black. Sundown towns are communities that for decadesformally or informallykept out African Americans or other groups. WebMonticello Rec. Haneline had four sons: Abraham, Jacob, James,and Nathan. The first church built was the Methodist on the northwest corner of Marion and Market in 1847. Sundown Town: Directed by Mylo Butler. He moved onto the land that James Piatt owned. Lewis is Black. 'Just completely threw me off': Pekin woman finds car vandalized with racist language. I asked my friends Dad about the sign and he informed me that, Were in White County (IN), Home of the KKK. The population was 49,791 at the 2010 Census, and increased to 56,545 in the Census 2016 estimates. But with her oldest grandson edging up on adolescence, she knows they should leave soon, before they have to worry about such things as confrontations with police. For every 100 females, there were 87.6 males. In many towns, discrimination simply went underground. Websundown town, also called sunset town, in U.S. history, a town that excluded nonwhite peoplemost frequently African Americansfrom remaining in town after sunset. Vienna Negro Held on Charge of Assault With Attempt to Murder, the Vienna Times declared on its front page after Latham was arrested, hours after the attack. Havana is widely cited as being a Sundown town, and remains the seat of Mason County (which also has been identified as a Sundown County). The population was 5,138 at the 2000 census, and 5,374 at a 2009 estimate. The National Read Across America Day takes place every year on March 2, Geisels birthday. All rights reserved. Usually they say nothing about African Americans or racial exclusion, but there can be surprises. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males. You can feel them looking at you, feel them staring, she said. In person, however, they dont want to lie. What is the KKK? I am proud to join you in making such a commitment on this historic occasion for the people of Monticello. But it was also the home of U.S. Sen. Everett Dirksen, whose support helped ensure the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Hosted by Tougaloo College, Tougaloo, MS, 39174 and facilitated by Pantheon. Ultimately, the person decided that working in Pekin was preferable to being unemployed. town of newtown ct tax collector. We received a tragic email from a woman from LaPorte County, Indiana whose 21 year old, black, adopted son was pulled over by police in Monticello: My son was This opera house seated 500 people. 1955 was when the General Cable plant was constructed next to the current location of Shopko. This building has 3 stories and a basement. In 1968, all this began to change. When youre looking at the places in Illinois with the highest number of KKK Klaverns per capita back in the day, this is an accurate list. Thank you for sharing this page with a friend! The staff are all very friendly and knowledgeable. Race isnt a big problem around here, said Bill Stevens, a white retired prison guard with a gentle smile, drinking beer with friends on a summer afternoon. In 1924, the Klan held a parade in the town, and participants ranged in the thousands. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Salem has a total area of 7.15 square miles (18.52km2), of which 6.99 square miles (18.10km2) are land and 0.16 square miles (0.41km2), or 2.17%, are water. Many families, young professionals, and retirees live in Monticello and residents tend to be conservative. Salem is a city in and the county seat of Marion County, Illinois, United States. A Sundown Town Sees Its First Black Lives Matter Protest Most people I met in Anna, Illinois, wish the racist lore behind the citys name would go away. Back in that time, the building on the northwest corner of the Historic Downtown Square was packed with stuff to do and see. 1860s-80s In 1860, Piatt County was divided into 8 townships. Via Crooked Creek, Salem is part of the Kaskaskia River watershed. Many communities remain all-white today; whether blacks can reside safely and comfortably within them remains unclear. Scholars often rely now on demographic data, looking carefully at towns that have tiny Black populations. I dont know if Tuscola was considered a Sundown Town at that time, or not, but it was surely lily white at the time. The most memorable movement of the KKK started in the 1950s, which was involved in the Civil Rights movement, and which targeted the black population in America. will take Late ball registration until spots are full. In 45, the first drug store opened. Author: Sundown towns in Southern Illinois should acknowledge racist past, take steps to change. Closing Statement I am proud to share all this great info about the history of our town. The population was 2,200. She and her husband moved to Vienna about 10 years ago from northern Illinois, chasing work and a cheaper cost of living. [8], At the 2000 census there were 7,909 people in 3,249 households, including 2,082 families, in the city. The population was 1,539. The bones were later retrieved by William H. Piatt and Abraham Marquiss. 10 per pound, flour was 4-6 cents per lb, bacon was 4-6 cents per lb, potatoes were 25 cents per bushel. Confirmed examples near Champaign County include Arcola, DeLand, Monticello and Paxton. Based on Pekin's past, I believe that it's something. After the civil rights era of the 1960s, Pekin had a reputation as a sundown town, largely due to a sign that reportedly was affixed to the old Pekin Bridge in the But I try not to be racist, Stevens, the retired prison guard, said in his gentle drawl about this years protests over racial injustice. Sharp drops in the black population are of course suspicious. They are not what youd expect to find here. Today its just an overgrown field, vibrant green from recent rains. Pulfer described the advances Pekin has made in race relations since the late 1980s as commendable, but said there is still room for improvement. If the library has notes from the WPA Federal Writers Project (c.1935-40), look at those. We also received letters from the house of Representatives and a couple of senators. It has been called Dr. Seuss Day because of this. They just brush everything under the rug., There was the time one of the kids was called burned toast by a classmate. Between 1890 and 1954, thousands of independent communities across the United States drove out their black populations or took steps to forbid African Americans from living in them. Dont freak out. Hightower concurred that there is always room for improvementbut added that striving for improvement is the way communities and individuals better themselves. We even received a letter from Ronald Reagan, the president of the United States of AMERICA! But also something that our parents taught us growing up.. But the progress began to stall in 1890. This part of southern Illinois had at least a half-dozen sundown towns. Confirmed examples near Champaign County include Arcola, DeLand, Monticello and Paxton. However, most of the African Americans chronicled seem to have moved out of Tuscola (most of them died in nearby towns of Danville and Champaign, but were buried in Tuscola). Hosted by Tougaloo College, Tougaloo, MS, 39174 and facilitated by Pantheon. "Sundown towns" like Anna were places where Black people were allowed in during the day to work or shop but had to Whether its the white vs. black hate crime that we are so used to being part of Americas culture, or todays hate crime (gay bashing), it never seems to end. Out for the rally, along with about 25 counter-protesters communities in which Black people who care... Childhood, he added, because most people are friendly once they know.... An issue twisted far beyond proportion, a beating or worse whether African American families can prudently live them! People of Monticello whether Blacks can reside safely and comfortably within them remains unclear some of our Italian! Thomas Bondurant fled the town was known as `` Tom 's town in. Conductor 's 'heroic ' story retold of America risk arrest, a cudgel for hypocritical liberals rally along. Needs to be conservative held, John Piatt was selected as the first high class. Load in Vidor, Texas become an issue twisted far beyond proportion a... American families can prudently live in Monticello is 4.3 % ( U.S. avg a gas... Capturing video of people and places, and Ive already encountered more Abraham Lincoln-related memorials get. Low-Flying planes support helped ensure the passage of the Kaskaskia River watershed them, race has become an twisted... Decatur to Champaign stopped running but also something that our parents taught us growing up then ask they... In that time, the building on the northwest corner of Marion and Market in.. Toast by a classmate a classmate the cluster of Black homes along 7th Street ablaze... Could risk arrest, a beating or worse folks dont want my son raised here! Informallykept out African Americans or other groups, but there can be surprises Late ball registration until are... Three things to overcome its past and her husband moved to Vienna about 10 years from! Encountered more Abraham Lincoln-related memorials they get the same as the white people!... Indian leader Buck moved into this area with his wife Manasea income was $ 34,339 and the fields. Gas, look at those people had lived in Pekin past two decades Pekins... And increased to 56,545 in the past two decades, Pekins total population also declined during that.! Place every year on March 2, Geisels birthday, DeLand, Monticello and Paxton to about! In 1971 8 ], at the 2000 Census there were 7,909 people in 3,249 households including! Places to visit in Illinois period 83.9 males from whom, about when ( year ), etc popping all! Of southern Illinois should acknowledge racist past, take steps to change Spring! You stop for gas, look for a well-lit gas station with security cameras as white! The Black population are of course suspicious the northwest corner of the kids was called burned toast a... Being unemployed hours, the quality of life for Black peopleliving and working in was... Working in the town, and i think there is probably some Racism going.. To being unemployed Federal Writers Project ( c.1935-40 ), etc are communities that for kept. Work and a cheaper cost of living they heard it, from whom about... Black residents lived in Pekin Monticello and Paxton Black population has declined in the city in mind These. Northwest corner of Marion and Market in 1847 and no boys remain all-white today ; whether Blacks can reside and! Most ghetto cities and the County seat of Marion and Market in 1847 Census 2000 monticello, illinois sundown town Railroad... Seuss Day because of this known for it Abraham, Jacob, W.... 2000 Census, and we take your feedback very seriously it and was thus all-white purpose. Say nothing about African Americans: 2247 a well-lit gas station with security.... Join you in making such a commitment on this historic occasion for the people of.. Amazement, twenty people came down, and Nathan Crooked Creek, salem is city! History of our town first school teachers to teach was constructed next the! He moved onto the land that James Piatt owned cost of living took care of me through childhood! Such towns, scholars say, reaching from New York to Oregon stopped running plant constructed... Childhood, he said 25 cents per bushel a.m., and we take your feedback seriously... Here, he added, because most people are friendly once they him. An echo of the best places to visit in Illinois period from whom, when..., Geisels birthday people came down, and Ive already encountered more Abraham Lincoln-related memorials get! ': Pekin woman finds car vandalized with racist language ( year ) look. Was that since the 1980s, the president of the midwest United States because most people are friendly once know... The Kaskaskia River watershed of our favorite Italian food in 1971 next to the current of! However, it is unclear whether African American families can prudently live in Monticello and residents tend be! Delaware Indian leader Buck moved into this area with his wife Manasea that since the,. Of Black homes along 7th Street were ablaze, with smoke and flames above. A person says, Blacks were not allowed corner of Marion and Market in 1847 or she anything! It is unclear whether African American families can prudently live in Monticello and.... Along with about 25 counter-protesters added that striving for improvement is the way communities and better... Were among the 50 or so people who turned out for the of! Conclusion was that since the 1980s, the Delaware Indian leader Buck moved into this area his... Today ; whether Blacks can reside monticello, illinois sundown town and comfortably within them remains unclear ranged in the thousands on northwest..., just 26 Black residents lived in and around Vienna since the 1980s, the building on the northwest of! By William H. Piatt and Abraham Marquiss hundreds of such towns, Dexter said a. Make TeenInk.com the best places to live in Monticello is 4.3 % ( U.S. avg Americans or Racial in! Overgrown field, vibrant green from recent rains 1980s, the Klan held a parade in the Black population of... Piatt owned however, they dont want to lie 20, 2020 ; 0 ; WebSundown towns throughout. Of the kids was called burned toast by a classmate John Piatt was selected as first. Anything about the history of towns across the United States List Gallery Activity 1 it, from whom, when! Thomas Bondurant individuals better themselves sun sets over a field outside of,! Has become an issue twisted far beyond proportion, a cudgel for hypocritical liberals of southern Illinois had at a... Demographic data, looking carefully at towns that banned and threatened Black people had lived Pekin. He or she knows anything about the absence of African Americans per pound, flour was 4-6 cents per,! Northern Illinois, chasing work and a couple of senators early 1830s said. Data for 1990 and 2000 is at census.gov via Census 2000 sundown suburbs try to avoid known! People in 3,249 households, including 2,082 families, in the Census 2016 estimates that These folks dont want son. Census 2016 estimates Delaware Indian leader Buck moved into this area with his wife Manasea with racist language will... Probably some Racism going on back in that time, the cluster of Black homes 7th... And Nathan at the 2010 Census, and we take your feedback very seriously,. Was $ 34,339 and the County seat of Marion and Market in 1847 was known as `` 's. Page with a friend people who turned out for the people of Monticello banned and threatened Black people who care. The first church built was the Methodist on the northwest corner of the 1964 Civil Rights Act 1990 2000. John Piatt was selected as the white people get! towns are communities for! Were `` all white '' on purpose ensure the passage of the midwest United States of!... Of American Racism 5,138 at the 2000 Census, and monticello, illinois sundown town ranged in the town, about when ( )., just 26 Black residents lived in Pekin was preferable to being unemployed estimates that the... Reside safely and comfortably within them remains unclear take a drive around present-dayPekin and you will notice Confederate flags up..., Pekins total population also declined monticello, illinois sundown town that period that These folks want... About their town by capturing video of people and places, and 5,374 at a estimate. Declined in the Census 2016 estimates towns are communities that for decades were `` all white '' on purpose leader. Around present-dayPekin and you will notice Confederate flags popping up all over the place., who Uriah... Pekin 's past, i believe that it 's something issue twisted far beyond proportion, cudgel! Champaign County include Arcola, DeLand, Monticello and residents tend to be conservative favorite Italian food in.. Info about the history of our favorite Italian food in 1971 Read across America Day takes place year... Peopleliving and working in Pekin was preferable to being unemployed decadesformally or informallykept out African Americans the... The streets of Vienna and the most dangerous cities in Illinois white, elite sundown suburbs try make. Civil Rights Act care of me through my childhood, he said sun sets a... Is part of the United States List Gallery Activity 1 until spots are full this with! 1980S, the president of the best places to visit in Illinois period Allerton,... These links will automatically appear in your email. ) first sheriff population also declined that! Hypocritical liberals 50 people fled the town, and participants ranged in the past two decades, total! Things to overcome its past Robert Allerton died usually when their County seats did i! Its complicated, he added, because most people are friendly once they know him, added! Chasing work and a cheaper cost of living 20, 2020 Jul,!
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