We proudly present the marker dedicated to Nance Legins-Costley, the first enslaved person that Abraham Lincoln helped free when he won her case before the Illinois Supreme Court in 1841.
Here now the marker telling the overall story of Moffatt Cemetery and the 2,600 everyday citizens that rest there still.
And now, in honor, the marker memorializing the 52 veterans who rest still at the site, mostly veterans of the Civil War and one, Nathan Ashby, who was present at the original Juneteenth celebration in Galveston, TX when he was serving as a soldier there.
In total, more than $25,000 was raised for the memorial. About one third of that came from individual donations, while the rest came from groups and grants. Fully 40% of the funding came from sources right here in the Peoria area, while the balance came from national granting organizations.