Springfield to comemmorate the 1908 race riots

From the State Journal-Register...

Mayor Tim Davlin said today that he will appoint a commission to coordinate the commemoration of the 1908 race riots in Springfield.

Davlin, speaking at his annual prayer breakfast this morning at the Hilton Springfield, named Beverly Peters as chairman of the commission.

The August 1908 riots resulted in three blacks, including a 3-year-old child, and four whites dying during two days of violence. Forty black-owned homes and 15 black and Jewish-owned businesses were destroyed. The riots occurred in a seven-by-eight-block area downtown.

Of course if you need more information look no further than this post I wrote over the summer that links to a presentation from the Illinois Channel.