Charley's Run
On an August night in 1842, Dr. Richard Eells, an active Quincy Abolitionist in the 1830-40's, was transporting a runaway slave named Charley to a safer location when his carriage was stopped near this spot by a posse searching for Charley. Charley fled and hid in a nearby cemetery (Madison Park today), but was found, captured and returned to slavery in Missouri.
Dr. Eell's House, at 415 Jersey, was considered station number one on the Underground Railroad from Quincy to freedom in Canada. Dr. David Nelson's Mission Institute, an abolitionist training school, was also on the Underground Railroad. The Mission Institute was located just north east of this location at 25th and Maine and was the likely destination for Charley and Dr. Eells that August night.
Dr. Richard Eells was convicted of aiding a fugitive slave, and was fined $400 by local judge Stephen Douglas. Although quite a large sum for the times, it turned out to be a paltry one compared to the effort made taking Dr. Eells' case to the State and Federal Supreme Courts. Although he died before his case reached the U.S. Supreme Court, his attorneys, including two who would later be members of President Abraham Lincoln's cabinet, William Seward and Salmon Chase, carried this important case through to the end.
Because of the notoriety of the case Eells
this page online
The matter of slavery was a major religious and social issue in Quincy's early years. The Illinois city's location, separated only by the Mississippi River from the slave state of Missouri, made Quincy a hotbed of political controversy. Sixty-five community leaders chartered the Adams County Anti-Slavery Society, the first in Illinois.
Erected by The Friends of the Dr. Eells House and Quincy Park District.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • African Americans • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1842.
Location. 39° 55.819′ N, 91° 22.644′ W. Marker is in Quincy, Illinois, in Adams County. Marker is at the intersection of 24th Street (Illinois Route 96) and Jersey Street, on the left when traveling south on 24th Street. Marker is near the southwest corner of Madison Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Quincy IL 62301, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Dr. Thomas Edgar Musselman (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Madison Park (about 600
Also see . . .
1. Dr Richard Eell's House, Quincy IL. National Park Service entry (Submitted on September 27, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. Eells House connects town with Underground Railroad. Historical Society of Quincy & Adams County entry (Submitted on September 27, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
3. Hundreds of slaves took refuge in this Quincy house. St. Louis Public Radio, 2017 (Submitted on September 27, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
4. Madison Park. Quincy Park District entry (Submitted on September 27, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 14, 2021. It was originally submitted on September 27, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 412 times since then and 44 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 27, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
