Douglas (Bronzeville) in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Eugene Temple
1887-1919
| | Chicago Race Riot of 1919 Commemoration Project | |
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, May 13, 2026
1. Eugene Temple Marker
Erected 2025 by Chicago Race Riot of 1919 Commemoration Project.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Disasters. In addition, it is included in the Chicago Race Riot of 1919 Commemoration Project, Illinois series list. A significant historical date for this entry is July 28, 1919.
Location. 41° 49.677′ N, 87° 37.58′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in Douglas (Bronzeville). It is on South State Street north of 37th Street, on the right when traveling north. The marker is embedded in the sidewalk in front of the Bee Branch of the Chicago Public Library. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3647 South State Street, Chicago IL 60609, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is 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 once the Viceroyalty of New France, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Chicago Bee Building (here, next to this marker); Casmere Lazzeroni (within shouting distance of this marker); Overton Hygienic Building (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Haymarket Police Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away); Welcome to Bronzeville (approx. 0.2 miles away); Chicago Race Riot of 1919 (approx. Ό mile away); Joseph Sanford (approx. Ό mile away); Hymes Taylor (approx. Ό mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.
More about this marker. The sidewalk marker is one of several erected by the Chicago Race Riot of 1919 Commemoration Project in remembrance of those killed during the deadly racial violence that gripped Chicago in the summer of 1919. Inspired by the Stolpersteine ("Stumbling Stones") project in Europe, which erects sidewalk markers honoring Holocaust victims, these markers in Chicago have been placed on sidewalks at sites where people were killed in 1919.
Regarding Eugene Temple. Eugene Temple was a white man who lived in Lakeview on Chicago's north side and owned a
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, May 13, 2026
2. Two Riot of 1919 markers in front of the Chicago Bee Branch of the Chicago Public Library
On July 27, 1919, Eugene Williams, a Black 17-year-old, was riding in a homemade raft with four friends in Lake Michigan when it accidentally floated past the invisible boundary that demarcated what was a de-facto "whites-only" part of the beach. A white man, George Stauber, threw stones at the boys and killed Williams. The scene set off a wave of protests followed by a week of racially driven violence. Between July 27 and Aug. 3, 38 people died (23 were Black and 15 white), more than 500 were injured, and more than 1,000 people, most of them Black, had their homes destroyed.
On July 28, violence was increasing here on the south side, where rumors of the mistreatment and murder of Blacks by white gangs led to retaliation. That day, Temple and his wife Gloria exited their business to get into their car when they were attacked by three Black men. Temple was stabbed and died later that day in the hospital. Temple's killers were never identified, and a motive was never determined, although the city's official commission on the riots hypothesized that he had been targeted in retaliation for the murders of Blacks earlier in the day. Temple is buried at Rosehill Cemetery in Lakeview.
Also see . . . Eugene Temple. The Chicago Race Riot of 1919 Commemoration Project shares the story of Eugene Temple. (Submitted on May 13, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
Credits. This page was last revised on May 14, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 13, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 12 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 13, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.
