Central Illinois Individuals & Organizations Recognized By Illinois State Historical Society
Local Projects Recognized Are Legins-Costley Park in Pekin, Peoria Freedom & Remembrance Memorial, Pekin High School Website, Tazewell County World War II Initiative, and Tazewell County Clerk Digitization Project.
A) The Tazewell County Clerk & Recorder of Deed’s, City of Pekin, Pekin Chamber of Commerce, Pekin Main Street Organization, Tazewell County Genealogical & Historical Society, YWCA Pekin Coalition for Equality, Pekin Community High School, and Pekin Historian Jared Olar are all being recognized for last years dedication of Legins-Costley Park in Downtown Pekin, memorializing the legacy of Nance Legins-Costley and her son William Henry Costley, each the first enslaved individuals emancipated by Abraham Lincoln. Thanks to efforts of this group of community leaders, the new park, two Illinois State Historical Markers, and a new stone memorial were dedicated for Juneteenth 2023.
B) Peoria Historian Bob Hoffer, Peoria community activist David Pittman, Nance Legins-Costley author Carl Adams, Peoria Genealogist Joe Hutchinson, writer/media producer and Lincoln enthusiast Bill Poorman, and Pekin Historian Jared Olar are all being recognized for last years dedication of the Peoria Freedom & Remembrance Memorial in Southside Peoria, memorializing the long lost Moffatt Cemetery, gravesites of numerous Civil War Veterans, and gravesite of Nance Legins-Costley, the first enslaved individual emancipated by Abraham Lincoln. Thanks to efforts of this group of community leaders, the new park and three Illinois State Historical Markers were dedicated for Juneteenth 2023.
C) The teachers and students of Pekin Community High School are being recognized for their creation of a website in tribute to Nance Legins-Costley history. “What Nance Means To Us”, created by the students as part of several teachers curriculum last year, is being recognized as one of the top new historical publications within the State of Illinois last year. www.pekinhigh.net/article/1139477
D) The Tazewell County Clerk & Recorder of Deeds Office and the Tazewell County Veterans Assistance Commission are being recognized for their new initiative to create a listing of the remaining World War II Veterans in Tazewell County. Originally the list was of the last 19 Tazewell County World War II Veterans, ranging in age from 95 to 106, as a way to highlight how few of these members of the Greatest Generation are still amongst us. Sadly, the list has decreased over the past few months to currently 16 Tazewell County World War II Veterans remaining.
E) The Tazewell County Clerk & Recorder of Deeds Office and ArcaSearch are being recognized for the complete digitization and public publication of all Tazewell County Board Minutes, from their first meeting in 1827 till the present. Tazewell County is the first county in the State of Illinois to full digitize these historical records.
“We are extremely honored to be recognized by the Illinois State Historical Society for these projects” stated Tazewell County Clerk & Recorder of Deeds John C. Ackerman. “Historical Preservation and sharing this rich history with the public is a priority of our office. To be recognized by the state agency responsible for encouraging these activities is truly an honor we appreciate and value.”
The Illinois State Historical Society announced projects throughout Illinois being honored at the society’s Annual Awards Program on April 20th, 2024. Several Central Illinois individuals and organizations have been listed as receiving an award from the state society. The five local awards are:
A) The Tazewell County Clerk & Recorder of Deed’s, City of Pekin, Pekin Chamber of Commerce, Pekin Main Street Organization, Tazewell County Genealogical & Historical Society, YWCA Pekin Coalition for Equality, Pekin Community High School, and Pekin Historian Jared Olar are all being recognized for last years dedication of Legins-Costley Park in Downtown Pekin, memorializing the legacy of Nance Legins-Costley and her son William Henry Costley, each the first enslaved individuals emancipated by Abraham Lincoln. Thanks to efforts of this group of community leaders, the new park, two Illinois State Historical Markers, and a new stone memorial were dedicated for Juneteenth 2023.
B) Peoria Historian Bob Hoffer, Peoria community activist David Pittman, Nance Legins-Costley author Carl Adams, Peoria Genealogist Joe Hutchinson, writer/media producer and Lincoln enthusiast Bill Poorman, and Pekin Historian Jared Olar are all being recognized for last years dedication of the Peoria Freedom & Remembrance Memorial in Southside Peoria, memorializing the long lost Moffatt Cemetery, gravesites of numerous Civil War Veterans, and gravesite of Nance Legins-Costley, the first enslaved individual emancipated by Abraham Lincoln. Thanks to efforts of this group of community leaders, the new park and three Illinois State Historical Markers were dedicated for Juneteenth 2023.
C) The teachers and students of Pekin Community High School are being recognized for their creation of a website in tribute to Nance Legins-Costley history. “What Nance Means To Us”, created by the students as part of several teachers curriculum last year, is being recognized as one of the top new historical publications within the State of Illinois last year. www.pekinhigh.net/article/1139477
D) The Tazewell County Clerk & Recorder of Deeds Office and the Tazewell County Veterans Assistance Commission are being recognized for their new initiative to create a listing of the remaining World War II Veterans in Tazewell County. Originally the list was of the last 19 Tazewell County World War II Veterans, ranging in age from 95 to 106, as a way to highlight how few of these members of the Greatest Generation are still amongst us. Sadly, the list has decreased over the past few months to currently 16 Tazewell County World War II Veterans remaining.
E) The Tazewell County Clerk & Recorder of Deeds Office and ArcaSearch are being recognized for the complete digitization and public publication of all Tazewell County Board Minutes, from their first meeting in 1827 till the present. Tazewell County is the first county in the State of Illinois to full digitize these historical records.
“We are extremely honored to be recognized by the Illinois State Historical Society for these projects” stated Tazewell County Clerk & Recorder of Deeds John C. Ackerman. “Historical Preservation and sharing this rich history with the public is a priority of our office. To be recognized by the state agency responsible for encouraging these activities is truly an honor we appreciate and value.”
The Illinois State Historical Society Annual Meeting and 2024 Awards Luncheon will be April 20 at 11:30am at the Hoogland Center for the Arts in Springfield. Representatives from each of these local organizations will be in attendance to receive their award certificates.