Downtown in Springfield in Sangamon County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Adams between Fifth and Sixth Streets

Site of the Sangamon County Courthouse

— 1908 Race Riot Walking Tour —

Photographed by Matthew Stevens, October 2, 2026

1. 1908 Race Riot Walking Tour Marker #8

Inscription. After the August 1908 Race Riot, the following events occurred at this site:

• Joe James, a black man, was tried and convicted for the murder of Clergy Ballard. Although Mr. James was eighteen years old and, as a minor, not subject to the death penalty, he was nonetheless executed on October 23, 1908.

• During the Grand Jury investigation of the alleged rape of Mabel Hallam, a white woman by George Richardson, a black man, Mrs. Hallam admitted that the accusation had been fabricated. Mr. Richardson was released and returned to a peaceful life in Springfield.

• In August 1908 a special Grand Jury returned 107 indictments against nearly 80 white riot suspects on charged ranging from malicious mischief to murder. The trials that followed resulted in only one conviction - petty larceny.

Some victims of the riot are buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery and the Mechanicsburg Cemetery. These burial sites have also been marked to signify each victim's role in the Race Riot events.

The Race Riot of 1908 was the catalyst that led to the formation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
The

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1908 Race Riot Walking Tour starts at Union Square Park, Fifth and Jefferson.

This is the eighth and last marker of the 1908 Race Riot Walking Tour

Erected by the City of Springfield Historical Events Memorial Committee: Ossie Langfelder, Mayor & Velma Carey, Chairperson. (Marker Number 8.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Civil Rights. A significant historical date for this entry is October 23, 1908.

Location. 39° 48.033′ N, 89° 38.913′ W. Marker is in Springfield, Illinois, in Sangamon County. It is in Downtown. It is on East Adams Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 522 E Adams Street, Springfield IL 62701, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Central Illinois.

It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8

Photographed by Matthew Stevens, October 2, 2026

2. 1908 Race Riot Walking Tour Marker #8

other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Soldiers of the War of 1812 (here, next to this marker); President-Elect Abraham Lincoln (here, next to this marker); Departure Point of The Donner Party (here, next to this marker); 1859-1911 (here, next to this marker); Abraham Lincoln - Eighth Judicial District (here, next to this marker); Potawatomi Trail of Death (here, next to this marker); Stephen A. Douglas (here, next to this marker); Soldiers of the American Revolution (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Springfield.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. 1908 Race Riot Walking Tour Markers

Adams Street Marker Wall (East Face) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Matthew Stevens, October 2, 2026

3. Adams Street Marker Wall (East Face)

Credits. This page was last revised on October 4, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 4, 2026, by Matthew Stevens of Washington, Illinois. This page has been viewed 16 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 4, 2026, by Matthew Stevens of Washington, Illinois. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.