Prairie Boat (Chicago, Illinois)
Dublin Core
Title
Subject
African Americans--Chicago (Ill.)
Chicago (Ill.)--History
American Midwest
Public art
Public sculpture
Underground Railroad
Description
Creator
Source
Date
Contributor
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Format
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Type
Coverage
Has Part
"From the 1830s until the Civil War, many enslaved African descendants in the South escaped to Chicago on their way to freedom in Canada. Black and white abolitionists in the region were part of the networks of assistance known as the Underground Railroad. The old Detroit-Chicago Road was an important route for freedom seekers, and some followed this, crossing the Little Calumet River at the site of the current bridge at Indiana Avenue several blocks west of here. Their movement became far more dangerous after 1850 with the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act that strengthened the laws requiring the capture and return of enslaved persons to their 'owners.'"
"After the removal of indigenous people living along the Little Calumet, by 1835 families from eastern states were settling here. Dutch settlers arrived in 1847-49, acquiring land in areas that became Roseland and South Holland. These included Cornelius and Maartje Kuyper, and Jan and Aagje Ton. Here, on the north side of the Little Calumet, the Ton farm was established in 1853. Their home and farm buildings were on this site. The Tons, often with the Kuypers, were directly involved in aiding freedom seekers. From here, they went by wagon or on foot across the bridge at Indiana Avenue to Hammond, Indiana, and eventually crossing into Canada from Detroit."
"Sponsored by The Little Calumet River Underground Railroad Project, The National Park Service Network To Freedom, Ronald Gaines and Family, The William G. Pomeroy Foundation, and the Illinois State Historical Society."
2022
https://www.historyillinois.org/FindAMarker/MarkerDetails.aspx?MarkerID=536
Gallery 1. Patrick Thompson, Heroes
“The art that I created for the Imani Village project began with the understanding of two factors. The first factor indicates that the project would be located on the site of a stop on the Underground Railroad, in Beaubien Woods. I painted a portrait of the major abolitionist of the time, Frederick Douglass. The second portrait is of Ida B. Wells, who was a civil rights activist and champion against lynching. The next illustration is the figure of Harriet Tubman in the woods, armed with a loaded rifle, ready to lead enslaved people to freedom. Then there’s the illustration of slaves escaping bondage. The second factor in my choice of subject matter was revealing the connection of some of the Tuskegee Airmen to a training program for pilots at nearby Robbins. Two panels are combined in a diptych of the heroic airmen and their WWII aircraft.”
Gallery 2. Jittaun Priest, Past, Present, Future
“I wanted to reflect something positive, educational, and modernist art. I went from dark and somber to bright and hopeful. Some of the colors represent the Imani Village logo and images placed within the pieces, like the buildings on the top of the mountain they are pointing to, a tractor tire, and the windmill. My artwork shows a journey from when we were living in Africa to our being captured and brought over to the states. Despite any challenges African Americans face, we still have a strong level of discernment and always persevere. I symbolically showed this through images of people dancing, praising, looking up, and pointing toward something better. It also depicts knowledge of education, agriculture, energy, and the importance of family and community to grow and be better to break the cycle of mental and physical slavery. The last piece reflects hope and possibilities of what is yet to come. Aaron Douglas, a well-known artist in the Harlem Renaissance era, inspired this collection.” 
Gallery 3. Osei Agyeman-Badu, Underground Railroad Quilts
“I am an art educator located on Chicago's South Side. The paintings are examples of the communication signs used during the Underground Railroad. In these desperate times, secrecy and trust went hand in hand. Symbols were guides and signs of danger; enslaved people brave enough to seek freedom had help from those who opposed this horrific industry. Thinking one step ahead of the enslavers, abolitionists used symbols incorporated into quilts to communicate with other abolitionists and brave enslaved people who sought freedom from their oppressors.” 
Gallery 4. Kadija Stallings, Slavery and Ancestry
Kadija Robinson-Stallings is a visual artist from the South Side of Chicago. Her art shares the struggles of African people during the time of enslavement. Throughout these works you will see African patterns and symbols that express the anguish and courage Black people had during this time in history. Kadija chose to take this angle in her art because it is a part of her culture and it’s the truth that many other people of color share.
Extent
Medium
carved limestone seats; carved capitals on top of portal log columns; 24 one-foot-square cedar panel paintings attached to concrete benches