Illinois Underground Railroad
Illinois Underground Railroad

UGRR resources across Illinois

A wide variety of materials on freedom seekers and the Underground Railroad are available on the Internet. 

For other specifics on the UGRR in Chicago and Northeastern Illinois -- go the page for NE IL & Chicago.   See also Larry McClellan's recent books on the UGRR South of Chicago and on the journey of Caroline Quarlls.

UGRR in Southwestern Illinois
UGRR in Western Illinois -- Underground Railroad Freedom Station  at  Knox College and the work of Owen Muelder
UGRR:  A Path to Freedom --  Intro to UGRR from Eastern Illinois University

Network to Freedom of the National Park Service -  This is the central national UGRR program and network.

See the work of Glennette Tilly Turner, author of The Underground Railroad in Illinois, a mentor and colleague for many of us.
Explore the Illinois materials in Wilbur H. Siebert Collection at the Ohio Historical Society
"The UGRR" from Historical Encylopedia of IL, 1901

Following is an expanding list of Places and People in Illinois related to the UGRR

PLACES 
Alton -- UGRR                                                   
Brooklyn - "America's First Black Town" & Archaeology Project
Byron --  Read House and NTF site
Cairo - UGRR in Cairo, IL -- note on source
Chicago -- many - Ton Farm, homes of Jones, Wagoner, Ford, Hudlin, Atkinson +  and homes of Carpenter, Freer, Dyer +  Tremont House, Lind lumberyard, Quinn Chapel
Collinsville -- Bethel Church
Crete  -- Beebe's Grove [Cushing/Cook/Beebe farms]
Downers Grove -- Blodgett House
Duquoin -- Ibendahl Farm
Equality -- Old Slave House
Galesburg --  See above on Knox College
                Chap from History of Knox County, 1878
Gurnee -- "Mother Rudd" House
Hinsdale - Graue Mill
New Philadelphia -- Historic sites and Free Frank
Jacksonville -- Morgan County Hist Society and Woodlawn Farm
Jerseyville --  Cheney Mansion
Lake County - news article
Lombard -- Sheldon Peck House
Maywood - West Town Museum of Cultural History
Ottawa - John Hossack House
Peoria - Pettengill Home site
Princeton - Owen Lovejoy Home
Quincy -- Richard Ells House     -  Intro essa
Springfield - Jameson Jenkins and NTF site

Wheaton -- UGRR at Wheaton College


PEOPLE
Caroline Quarlls -- Kim Simmons and Larry McClellan have written and talked extensively on the life of Kim's ancestor, Caroline.  The story of her life is available is our recent book, through Thron Creek Press.