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BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR, MANY CITIZENS HELPED
WAR, MANY CITIZENS HELPED ESCAPING SLAVES NORTH WARD
ESCAPING SLAVES NORTH WARD THROUGH THE UNDERGROUND
THROUGH THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.
RAILROAD. ONE PERSON WAS DR. RICHARD EELS
ONE PERSON WAS DR. RICHARD EELS WHOSE HOME IN QUINCY WAS
WHOSE HOME IN QUINCY WAS RECENTLY RESTORED.
IN 1839 ADAMS COUNTY ANTI SLAVERY SOCIETY WAS CHARTERED.
SLAVERY SOCIETY WAS CHARTERED. IT WAS THE FIRST SUCH
IT WAS THE FIRST SUCH ORGANIZATION IN ILLINOIS.
ORGANIZATION IN ILLINOIS. DURING ITS EXISTENCE, IT WAS
DURING ITS EXISTENCE, IT WAS CREDITED WITH ASSISTING OVER 200
CREDITED WITH ASSISTING OVER 200 ESCAPED SLAVES ON THEIR PATH TO
ESCAPED SLAVES ON THEIR PATH TO FREEDOM.
FREEDOM. THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THAT
THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THAT SOCIETY WAS DR. RICHARD EELS.
SOCIETY WAS DR. RICHARD EELS. THE HOUSE WAS BUILT IN 1835.
THE HOUSE WAS BUILT IN 1835. THIS IS THE SECOND OLDEST BRICK
THIS IS THE SECOND OLDEST BRICK HOUSE BUILT IN QUINCY, OLDEST
HOUSE BUILT IN QUINCY, OLDEST SURVIVING BRICK HOUSE.
SURVIVING BRICK HOUSE. >> ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
>> ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER FROM QUINCY IS MISSOURI WHICH AT
FROM QUINCY IS MISSOURI WHICH AT THAT TIME WAS A SLAVE STATE.
THAT TIME WAS A SLAVE STATE. ALTHOUGH ILLINOIS WAS A FREE
ALTHOUGH ILLINOIS WAS A FREE STATE, ASSISTING ESCAPING SLAVES
STATE, ASSISTING ESCAPING SLAVES WAS ILLEGAL.
WAS ILLEGAL. IN AUGUST OF 1842, A RUN AWAY
IN AUGUST OF 1842, A RUN AWAY SLAVE FROM MONTICELLO MISSOURI,
SLAVE FROM MONTICELLO MISSOURI, NAMED CHARLIE, CROSSED THE
NAMED CHARLIE, CROSSED THE RIVER, PROBABLY SCARED TO DEATH,
RIVER, PROBABLY SCARED TO DEATH, AND ONE WAY OR THE OTHER WOUND
AND ONE WAY OR THE OTHER WOUND UP AT THE BACK DOOR OF DR. EELS'
UP AT THE BACK DOOR OF DR. EELS' RIGHT HERE IN THIS HOUSE.
RIGHT HERE IN THIS HOUSE. >> DURING THE RENOVATION OF THE
>> DURING THE RENOVATION OF THE HOME, THE ORIGINAL BACK DOOR
HOME, THE ORIGINAL BACK DOOR STOOP WAS UNCOVERED.
STOOP WAS UNCOVERED. TODAY, VISITORS CAN STAND OVER
TODAY, VISITORS CAN STAND OVER THE SAME SPOT WHERE CHARLIE
THE SAME SPOT WHERE CHARLIE WAITED FOR THE NEXT LEG OF HIS
WAITED FOR THE NEXT LEG OF HIS JOURNEY.
JOURNEY. >> THE WHOLE IDEA WAS GETTING
>> THE WHOLE IDEA WAS GETTING FROM THIS PLACE AS FAR AWAY FROM
FROM THIS PLACE AS FAR AWAY FROM THE RIVER AS POSSIBLE.
THE RIVER AS POSSIBLE. GOT ON THE CARRIAGE AND ON THE
GOT ON THE CARRIAGE AND ON THE WAY TO MISSION INSTITUTE WHICH
WAY TO MISSION INSTITUTE WHICH IS ON 24TH STREET.
IS ON 24TH STREET. THAT'S 20 BLOCKS FROM HERE.
THAT'S 20 BLOCKS FROM HERE. AT THAT TIME THAT WAS OUT IN THE
AT THAT TIME THAT WAS OUT IN THE COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. >> BUT DURING THE ESCAPE, A
>> BUT DURING THE ESCAPE, A POSSE SEARCHING FOR THE SLAVE
POSSE SEARCHING FOR THE SLAVE STOPPED AT DR. EELS'S WAGON.
STOPPED AT DR. EELS'S WAGON. CHARLIE RAN BUT WAS LATER
CHARLIE RAN BUT WAS LATER CAPTURED. TWO DAYS AFTER IN THE
CAPTURED. TWO DAYS AFTER IN THE EVENT IN PARLOR OF HIS HOME,
EVENT IN PARLOR OF HIS HOME, DR. EELS WAS ARRESTED.
DR. EELS WAS ARRESTED. >>FROM THERE, IT WENT TO THE
>>FROM THERE, IT WENT TO THE COURT, AND THE CIRCUIT JUDGE AT
COURT, AND THE CIRCUIT JUDGE AT THAT TIME WAS STEPHEN DOUGLAS,
THAT TIME WAS STEPHEN DOUGLAS, AND DOUGLAS FOUND HIM GUILTY AND
AND DOUGLAS FOUND HIM GUILTY AND FINED HIM $400.
FINED HIM $400. >> EVENTUALLY THE APPEAL PROCESS
>> EVENTUALLY THE APPEAL PROCESS LANDED AT THE ILLINOIS SUPREME
LANDED AT THE ILLINOIS SUPREME COURT WHERE THE VERED WAS
COURT WHERE THE VERED WAS UPHELD.
UPHELD. >> IN 1846, DR. EELS DIED, BUT
>> IN 1846, DR. EELS DIED, BUT HIS CASE WAS CARRIED ON. IN THE
HIS CASE WAS CARRIED ON. IN THE EARLY 1850'S, THE CASE WENT TO
EARLY 1850'S, THE CASE WENT TO THE U.S. SUPREME COURT.
THE U.S. SUPREME COURT. >>REPRESENTING DR. EELS' CASE
>>REPRESENTING DR. EELS' CASE WERE WILLIAM SUE ARD AND SAUL
WERE WILLIAM SUE ARD AND SAUL MON CHASE, BOTH FUTURE MEMBERS
MON CHASE, BOTH FUTURE MEMBERS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S CABINET.
OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S CABINET. ONCE AGAIN, THE VERED WAS
ONCE AGAIN, THE VERED WAS UPHELD.
UPHELD. >> ONE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS DID
>> ONE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS DID VERY GOOD RESEARCH AND FIND
VERY GOOD RESEARCH AND FIND MICROFICHE COPY OF THE NEWS
MICROFICHE COPY OF THE NEWS REPORT ON THIS CASE.
REPORT ON THIS CASE. ONE OF THE THINGS THIS IT THAT
ONE OF THE THINGS THIS IT THAT SURPRISES ME, AT THE END, WHEN
SURPRISES ME, AT THE END, WHEN WE MIGHT THINK EVERYBODY IN
WE MIGHT THINK EVERYBODY IN ILLINOIS AND EVERYBODY IN QUINCY
ILLINOIS AND EVERYBODY IN QUINCY WOULD BE ANTI SLAVERY AND WANTED
WOULD BE ANTI SLAVERY AND WANTED TO HELP THE POOR RUN AWAY SLAVE,
TO HELP THE POOR RUN AWAY SLAVE, THE END OF THE ARTICLE IT SAYS
THE END OF THE ARTICLE IT SAYS WHY CAN'T THESE ABOLITION ISTS
WHY CAN'T THESE ABOLITION ISTS MIND THEIR OWN BUSINESS, AND LET
MIND THEIR OWN BUSINESS, AND LET THE GOOD PEOPLE OF MISSOURI TAKE
THE GOOD PEOPLE OF MISSOURI TAKE CARE OF THEIR BUSINESS AND WE
CARE OF THEIR BUSINESS AND WE CAN ALL GET ALONG THAT WAY.
CAN ALL GET ALONG THAT WAY. >> AFTER EXTENSIVE RENOVATION,
>> AFTER EXTENSIVE RENOVATION, THE HOME HAS BEEN RETURNED TO
THE HOME HAS BEEN RETURNED TO ITS 1835 APPEARANCE.
ITS 1835 APPEARANCE. >> UP IN THE MASTER BEDROOM AND
>> UP IN THE MASTER BEDROOM AND BACK BEHIND A COUPLE OF TWO BY
BACK BEHIND A COUPLE OF TWO BY FOURS WE FOUND STRIPS OF
FOURS WE FOUND STRIPS OF ORIGINAL WALLPAPER.
ORIGINAL WALLPAPER. FROM THAT, WE HAD IT REPRODUCED
FROM THAT, WE HAD IT REPRODUCED AND SO THE DR. EELS' BEDROOM IS
AND SO THE DR. EELS' BEDROOM IS PAPERED WITH THIS YELLOW AND
PAPERED WITH THIS YELLOW AND FLOWER RY PAPER.
FLOWER RY PAPER. >>TODAY, THE HOME STANDS AS A
>>TODAY, THE HOME STANDS AS A REMINDER OF ONE MAN'S
REMINDER OF ONE MAN'S CONVICTIONS.
CONVICTIONS. >> IT IS A NOBLE GREAT STORY
>> IT IS A NOBLE GREAT STORY THAT TWO NOBLE GENTLEMEN, ONE
THAT TWO NOBLE GENTLEMEN, ONE WAS RUNNING FOR HIS LIFE AND
WAS RUNNING FOR HIS LIFE AND SEEKING WHAT EVERYBODY WANTS,
SEEKING WHAT EVERYBODY WANTS, INHERENTLY IS FREEDOM.
INHERENTLY IS FREEDOM. HE TOOK GREAT RISKS TO DO THAT,
HE TOOK GREAT RISKS TO DO THAT, AND THERE WAS ANOTHER SIDE OF
AND THERE WAS ANOTHER SIDE OF THE STORY WHERE A GENTLEMAN WHO
THE STORY WHERE A GENTLEMAN WHO HAD A COMFORTABLE MIDDLE CLASS
HAD A COMFORTABLE MIDDLE CLASS LIFE, LIVED IN VERY NICE HOME,
LIFE, LIVED IN VERY NICE HOME, AND WITH HIS CHURCH BELIEFS AND
AND WITH HIS CHURCH BELIEFS AND HEART BELIEFS, HE RISKED
HEART BELIEFS, HE RISKED EVERYTHING AND WENT OUT ON THE
EVERYTHING AND WENT OUT ON THE LIMB AND TRIED TO HELP THIS
LIMB AND TRIED TO HELP THIS GENTLEMAN.
GENTLEMAN. IT IS A GREAT STORY.
IT IS A GREAT STORY. IT IS A GREAT AMERICAN STORY.
FOR DATES AND TIMES THAT DR. RICHARD EELS HOME IS OPEN
DR. RICHARD EELS HOME IS OPEN CALL (217)223-1800.