Remains from 1908 Springfield race riots to be excavated

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Archaeological work could begin this fall on the remains of seven homes destroyed during the 1908 race riots in Springfield, Illinois — deadly unrest that precipitated the creation of the NAACP .

The State Journal-Register reports that an agreement reached last week between federal, state and city officials covers how excavations will be conducted and directs the city and the Illinois State Museum to curate the artifacts recovered from the remains of the mid-1800s immigrant neighbourhood.

In August 1908 , a white mob that was thwarted in an attempt to lynch two black jail inmates went on a rampage, destroying dozens of black-owned businesses and homes. Two black men were lynched and five white men died.

Railroad project crews discovered the burnt remains in 2014.

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Information from: The State Journal-Register, http://www.sj-r.com