In the years before the Civil War a man named George Washington was forced to leave Illinois because he could not post a bond to guarantee his good behavior in the state. George Washington was black and the posting of a bond was only one of many laws restricting blacks from the full enjoyment of their rights. In this respect the western states and territories before the Civil War were no better than the eastern ones, and sometimes a little worse. In western states the leading issue at their constitutional conventions had nothing to do with government, rights, or...
their black friend the biggest funeral in the town"s history. The mayor proclaimed a day of mourning. Washington"s body was carried to a church he had donated, on land he had donated, and then buried in a cemetery he had donated-entirely fitting for the founder of the town. The city"s park still bears the name of this dedicated man. He had braved the dangers of the frontier and the hatred of men to make his striking contribution to the West. Many who knew him personally, and many who never did, benefited from his skills, resourceful mind, and compassionate heart.