Community Conversations - 1908 Exhibition at the Transportation Hub

The Illinois State Museum invites you to a community conversation about the 1908 exhibition proposed for the Springfield Sangamon County Transportation Hub. The discussion will occur on Saturday, June 24, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. at the Illinois State Museum.

To preserve the history and culture of the Springfield community, the ISM has partnered with Sangamon County to create a community-focused exhibit highlighting artifacts and materials discovered during the archeological excavations for the rail relocation project. The objects found were remnants of homes built in the 1840s that were burned to the ground by a White mob action in 1908, commonly referred to as the 1908 Race Riot.

The ISM is currently in the second phase of planning the upcoming exhibition and actively seeking community input and ideas. To achieve this, the Museum has hired consultants Dina Bailey, Richard Josey, and Jackie Peterson to facilitate discussions with residents and individuals connected to families affected by the events of 1908. The consultants will lead these discussions to determine the exhibition’s direction.

If residents cannot participate on Saturday, June 24, the ISM will host additional sessions in August and September.