04/12/2026
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It was said that you could tell an abolitionist by the way they dress. Most had only woolen clothes because cotton clothes represented slavery. We don’t know if Morgan County’s abolitionists wore cotton or wool; what is known is that Morgan County had one of the most active Underground Railroad networks in Illinois. Although no records of its inception date were mentioned, this network might have started around 1838 or 1839 and ended between 1855 and 1857. The network came mainly from the members of the Jacksonville Congregation Church. This network consisted mostly of older white men and women from New England, with the help of former black slaves. The Underground Railroad in Morgan County was active in 2 towns, Jacksonville, and Waverly. Although Pisgah had at least one individual involved. However, there may be more towns that are currently unknown.
An estimated 162 people became involved with the abolitionist movement in Morgan County from 1823 to 1860s. This number includes the 1823 Morganian Society members, an anti-slavery organization with 130 supporters. And the 1837 Illinois Anti-Slavery Society in Alton, to which Jacksonville sent 32 representatives. Most of Jacksonville's abolitionists lived west of the city square, near each other and the brick Congregational Church building, built in 1859 on West College Avenue. The youngest supporter was about 18 years old, and the oldest was about 65. Jacksonville and the surrounding county alone had about 14 to 18 stations available to hide runaways within the town and county, and those who could not conceal the freemen became suppliers.
Map of Jacksonville. Red, of known locations of abolitionists’ homes. Green boxes are known stations. Blue boxes are possible stations; yellow boxes are the Congregational Church’s two locations. Hart & Mapother 1854 Map
