In the Matter of the Organization August 2, 1873
of the Village of Brooklyn Return of Election
On the eighth day of July 1873, a petition was filed to the County Judge signed by forty legal voters for
the incorporation of the platted town of Brooklyn as a Village, under the laws of the State of Illinois, and
an election was ordered by the County Judge to be held in said town of Brooklyn, for or against the incorporation of
said Brooklyn as a village on the 30th day of July 1873 as appears in the County Record. And now the returns of
said election having been made to the County Judge, he called to his assistance two Justices of the Peace, signs
Martin Medert and Henry Challenor, to canvass said returns, the result of which was "For Village Organization "sixty
six votes, "Against Village Organization" none.
Which is by the court, ordered to be entered of record.
State of Illinois
St. Clair County I, Geo. K. Thomas Clerk of the County Court, do hereby certify that
the forgoing is a true and correct copy of the original as appears in my office, Probate Record
"I", page 204. In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and official seal, this 23rd day
of September, 1901
Geo. K. Thomas Clerk
By C. Rheirs Dpy
Filed for Record September 23, 1901 at 1 O'Clock P.M.
of the Village of Brooklyn Return of Election
On the eighth day of July 1873, a petition was filed to the County Judge signed by forty legal voters for
the incorporation of the platted town of Brooklyn as a Village, under the laws of the State of Illinois, and
an election was ordered by the County Judge to be held in said town of Brooklyn, for or against the incorporation of
said Brooklyn as a village on the 30th day of July 1873 as appears in the County Record. And now the returns of
said election having been made to the County Judge, he called to his assistance two Justices of the Peace, signs
Martin Medert and Henry Challenor, to canvass said returns, the result of which was "For Village Organization "sixty
six votes, "Against Village Organization" none.
Which is by the court, ordered to be entered of record.
State of Illinois
St. Clair County I, Geo. K. Thomas Clerk of the County Court, do hereby certify that
the forgoing is a true and correct copy of the original as appears in my office, Probate Record
"I", page 204. In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and official seal, this 23rd day
of September, 1901
Geo. K. Thomas Clerk
By C. Rheirs Dpy
Filed for Record September 23, 1901 at 1 O'Clock P.M.
According to oral tradition, Priscilla Baltimore led eleven families (some free, some slaves) from the slave state of Missouri to the
free banks of Illinois in or about 1829. These courageous souls navigated the treacherous currents of the Mississippi River to
become the architects of their own destinies. They settled in what was then known as the American Bottoms. It has been debated
if these Freedom Fighters settled in the area prior to Thomas Obsorne platting the town in 1837. We have uncovered a document
were he states that he had lived in the area for over twenty years prior to Mother Baltimore’s party’s arrival. If this were true, one
would have to ask the question, “Why did they not occupy the prime land of the area?” Land records, United States Federal
Census data, and preliminary test conducted by ITARP in the summer of 2008, indicate that Mother Baltimore’s Freedom Village
was located in Upper Brooklyn which was the highest point of land in the area. It was not prone to flooding. Test indicate that
the area of land White inhabitants occupied was located in the swampy area in the town of Brooklyn, Illinois.
The village of Brooklyn, Illinois, became a beacon of hope and a magnet for those escaping the inhumane institution of slavery and
for the “Floating Population” of Free Black people whom the slave states expelled. Fugitive slaves knew that once they reached
Freedom Village, food, shelter and clothing would be provided. Brooklyn’s A.M.E. Church and Antioch Baptist Church were the
first stations on the Underground Railroad that snaked through Southern Illinois. Historical documents, oral traditions and physical
evidence suggest that fugitive slaves were smuggled to Alton Illinois, past Jacksonville along the Illinois River to LaSalle and
Ottawa, through Chicago and finally to Canada.
Free Blacks migrated to Freedom Village despite the infamous “Black Code Laws”. Here they could plant their roots, purchase
land and build homes, raise their children and function as a family unit that was part of a society in which people who looked like
them were the majority. Priscilla Baltimore was a nurse on the river boats that plied the Mississippi River. She owned property in
Missouri before migrating to the American Bottoms. She purchased her freedom for the original price of eleven hundred dollars.
She went on to purchase the freedom of her mother, Lydia Lane and her husband, John Baltimore who was her second husband.
She and John purchased several lots from Thomas Osborne and his wife Ann. Land records reveal that these lots were purchased
and then sold on a quasi “Lay-A-Way-Plan”. This method of land ownership was a relief to Free Blacks who were required by the
“Black Code Laws” to file a certificate of freedom and post bonds of as much as one thousand dollars to prove that they were self
sufficient.
Brooklyn’s population continued to grow as word spread of a little town located on the banks of the Mississippi River where
Blacks were the majority and lived in harmony with the White people who had chosen to live among them. Census records indicate
that there were several interracial marriages and a substantial number of mulatto citizens living and loving in our little town. We
have copies of documents that reveal an industrial and urban plan was developed for Brooklyn as early as 1837 with impressive
financial backing. Despite its’ prime location, Brooklyn was overlooked as a site for industrialization. Instead, Illinoistown (now
East St. Louis) was chosen by the Reynolds group for the construction of a railway, and Granite City for steel mills. National City,
the largest stockyards in the Midwest, was within the boundary of Brooklyn territory. It was somehow incorporated as a town
thus, leaving Brooklyn out of the loop to collect taxes. Most small Black towns founded in the early 1800’s vanished without a
railway hub. The tenacity and resilience of Brooklyn citizens proved to be formidable. They would not disappear or be annexed out
of existence. They became a commuter workforce and participated in the industrial revolution as laborers. Many of our men were
employed at the stock yards and steel mills. Many worked the barges that plied the Mississippi River.
The town was self sufficient. Within its’ borders were grocery stores, dry goods stores, barber and beauty shops, a movie theater,
a doctor’s office and pharmacy, a nut factory, and lumber company. Brooklyn boasted the hottest night spot east of the
Mississippi River; the famous Harlem Night Club. Churches, social organizations such as the Elks, Masons, and Eastern Stars
cemented community bonds.
Brooklyn has suffered economic blight and a diminishing population. The lack of sufficient infrastructure and urban planning to
support new home construction, and land to entice new businesses to the area that would increase the town’s tax base has proven
to be more than Brooklyn has been able to overcome. The lack of recreational facilities for our youth is an increasing concern by
all. The future of Brooklyn lies with our youth. If we are unable to keep their interest and community commitment, how can we
expect to prepare them to take leadership roles in Brooklyn’s future?
America’s oldest Black incorporated town needs your help to survive. Mr. George McShan of Lovejoy’s Alumni Association has
been trying to raise funds to build a Youth Center for our young people for the past six years. He has the land and blueprints for
the structure. Many of you who will visit this site may have the skills of a builder or know someone who does. You may know
someone who can donate materials needed to build the structure. We’re not talking about a huge facility; a mere seventeen hundred
square feet. This facility will empower our young people and demonstrate that we are invested in their future. In turn, they may
invest in the future of America’s oldest Black incorporated town.
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