HR0232 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0232 LRB103 31750 LAW 60335 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to recognize the national historic importance and legacy of Nance Legins-Costley and William Costley; and

WHEREAS, For Juneteenth this year, Tazewell County will be dedicating a new memorial in Downtown Pekin to honor Nance Legins-Costley and William Costley, a mother and son who were both born into slavery and recognized throughout the world as the first enslaved individuals emancipated by then attorney Abraham Lincoln in 1841; and

WHEREAS, While born into slavery in 1813, Nance Legins-Costley firmly asserted her claim to freedom by age 14, beginning what would be 14 years of legal challenges to her enslaved status; and

WHEREAS, Nance Legins-Costley finally gained freedom for herself and her children, as their legal status was a direct reflection of their mother's, when Abraham Lincoln presented her case before the Illinois Supreme Court in the famous Bailey vs. Cromwell case in 1841; and

WHEREAS, Nance Legins-Costley married Benjamin Costley in 1840; together, they raised five daughters and three sons, living in Pekin for over 50 years; and

WHEREAS, Nance Legins-Costley became the first and only enslaved individual to own property in Pekin in 1849; and

WHEREAS, William Costley, Nance Legins-Costley's oldest son, answered President Abraham Lincoln's call to defend the Union during the American Civil War by volunteering for the Union Army in 1864, joining the famed 29th U.S. Colored Infantry; and

WHEREAS, William Costley's military service included participating in the Siege of Petersburg, where he was injured in battle, and the Appomattox Campaign in Virginia in 1865; and

WHEREAS, William Costley was transferred with the 29th U.S. Colored Infantry to Galveston, Texas, where he assisted General Gordon Granger in enforcing the Emancipation Proclamation, liberating the last stronghold of slavery in the United States on June 19, 1865; and

WHEREAS, This enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865 is celebrated and observed today as the holiday Juneteenth in the State of Illinois and by the federal government; and

WHEREAS, The new memorial in Downtown Pekin and a new memorial in the Southside of Peoria are the only permanent indicators of Nance Legins-Costley's life, and the new memorial in Downtown Pekin will be the only permanent indicator of William Costley's life in the State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, The new memorial has been recognized by the Illinois Historical Society with official Illinois Historical Markers, providing further testimony to the national historic impact of the lives of Nance Legins-Costley and William Costley; and

WHEREAS, The new memorial to preserve the legacy of Nance Legins-Costley and William Costley's lives was made possible by the efforts of Tazewell County Clerk John C. Ackerman, the City of Pekin, the Pekin Chamber of Commerce, the Pekin Main Street Organization, the Dirksen Congressional Center, the Pekin Library, the Tazewell County Genealogical & Historical Society, the YWCA Coalition for Equality, and Pekin Historian Jared Olar; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize the national historic importance and legacy of Nance Legins-Costley and William Costley; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge the citizens of the State of Illinois to celebrate the new memorial honoring Nance Legins-Costley and William Costley in Downtown Pekin and learn more about the impact these fellow citizens of Illinois had on the history of the United States; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to Tazewell County Clerk John C. Ackerman, the City of Pekin, the Pekin Chamber of Commerce, the Pekin Main Street Organization, the Dirksen Congressional Center, the Pekin Library, the Tazewell County Genealogical & Historical Society, the YWCA Coalition for Equality, and Pekin Historian Jared Olar as an expression of our esteem and respect.