Robbins in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Robbins, IL
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, April 19, 2026
1. Robbins, IL Marker
* Three Black Civil War Soldiers
* America's First Black Airport
* Ten Tuskegee Airmen
* Nichelle Nichols/Actress/NASA
* Dwyane T. Wade NBA & Olympic Champion
-KeKe Palmer/Actress
Erected by Robbins History Museum.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Air & Space • Sports • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Tuskegee Airmen series list.
Location. 41° 38.438′ N, 87° 42.648′ W. Marker is in Robbins, Illinois, in Cook County. It is at the intersection of West 139th Street and South Lawndale Avenue, on the right when traveling west on West 139th Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3710 West 139th Street, Robbins IL 60472, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Chicago. It is also in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Spc. Nathaniel Jefferson (approx. Ό mile away); Corporal Michael D. Marino (approx. Ό mile away); Spc. Willie D. Green (approx. Ό mile away); 1st Lieutenant Sharon Y. Hayes-Ragsdale (approx. Ό mile away); Midlothian Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.9 miles away); September 11, 2001 (approx. 1.1 miles away); Can We Wave the Flag Too Much? (approx. 1.2 miles away); The Original Village of Lighted Flags (approx. 1.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Robbins.
Also see . . .
1. Robbins: A small Chicago suburb with a big part in Black history. An article by Medill Reports from Northwestern University.
Excerpt: Incorporated in 1917, Robbins has been home to pilots, veterans, actresses, athletes and activists. The suburb began as one of the only places where Black families could own land and property in the greater Chicago area. Once a stop on the Underground Railroad, Robbins was a place where(Submitted on April 19, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)Black people settled in the North during the Great Migration in their search for economic and social freedom.Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, April 19, 20262. Robbins History Museum
2. Encyclopedia of Chicago: Robbins, IL.
Excerpt: In 1917, residents of Robbins incorporated as a separate municipality, a bold step for a blue-collar community with almost no commercial tax base. Although city officials undertook modest improvements, the community's small tax base inhibited efforts to upgrade services. Robbins grew from 431 persons in 1920 to 1,300 by 1940. Residents established a newspaper, the Robbins Herald, plus many churches and small stores. Bessie Coleman, Cornelius Coffey, and Johnny Robinson were among those who created Robbins Airport, a center for black aviation in the North. Robbins also became a popular recreation spot for black Chicagoans, who crowded its picnic grounds and nightclubs on summer weekends.(Submitted on April 19, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, circa 1968
3. Nichelle Nichols on Star Trek
Nichelle Nichols was born in Robbins in 1932; her father Samuel was the village's mayor for two years. She later moved to Chicago's Woodlawn neighborhood and graduated from Englewood High School in 1951. This photo shows her among the crew of the Starship Enterprise from the TV show "Star Trek." Nichols played Uhura. In front her are Walter Koenig (who played Chekov), James Doohan (Scott) and George Takei (Sulu). After the show was canceled, Nichols collaborated with NASA to recruit women and minorities to work for the space agency. Among the recruits recruited through this work were Sally Ride, the first woman astronaut, and Guion Bulford, the first African-American to go to space. Nichols died in New Mexico in 2022 at age 89, and some of her remains were launched into deep space.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 11, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 19, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 17 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 19, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 3. submitted on April 23, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.
