Madison County Historical Society to hold program about emancipation leader Edward Coles

EDWARDSVILLE - The Madison County Historical Society will host a program on Edward Coles, Sunday, February 18th at 2 p.m. in the fellowship hall on the lower level of Immanuel United Methodist Church at 800 N. Main Street in Edwardsville.

The program presenter is Madison County Historical Museum Superintendent Jon Parkin, a retired history teacher who specializes in early 19th century history.

Many historians believe that if not for Edward Coles, Illinois may not have remained a free state. The significant contributions to Illinois history by Edward Coles are remembered in Madison County with a monument in­stalled on Route 157 by the State of Illinois in 1929 and with an Illinois State Historical Society marker on the grounds of the Manny Jackson Center on North Main Street in Edwardsville. The Main Street loca­tion was once the site of the Madison County Court House which is significant to the Coles story.

MCHS programs are free and open to the public. Regular hours at the Madison County Archival Library are Wed – Fri, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Sun, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. The Madison County Historical Museum is currently closed for renovations. For additional information, call 618-656-7569.

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