16. Legins-Costley Park
Site Coordinates: N 40˚34'09.3" W 89˚38'46.3"
Your Clue: "How old was Nance when she challenged her servitude in court? Using that number, the corresponding letter in the key below will be what you need for the puzzle."
These informational sites along with 10 cache sites placed around Pekin will provide letters or numbers you'll need to unscramble a prominent name and important year in Pekin's history. Once you've unscrambled the name and year, submit your answer to be entered into a drawing for a one-of-a-kind, locally 3-D printed "flat" Everett, $50 in Chamber checks & some official Pekin swag!
Please be courteous and respectful of your surroundings! We hope you enjoy this historic tour of Pekin & participate in other events throughout 2024 to celebrate this milestone.
If you have any questions, please email us at pekinhistoricadventurequest@gmail.com.
A Bit of History...
Dedication of Legins-Costley Park caps three days of honor
Three special days of honor in Peoria and Pekin this month culminated Saturday, 17 June 2023, with the dedication and unveiling of the Costley Monument and the formal opening of Legins-Costley Park in downtown Pekin.
The park’s dedication was the third of three Juneteenth-related events that were held last week to honor the sacred memories of the Peorians buried at the former Moffatt Cemetery and to laud the remarkable and heroic story of Pekin pioneer Nance Legins-Costley (1813-1892), known to history as the first African-American to be freed from slavery with the help of Abraham Lincoln.
The first event was the official naming and opening of Freedom & Remembrance Memorial Park in Peoria on Flag Day, Wednesday, June 14. Peoria’s event was held at the corner of Griswold and Montana streets, across from the new memorial park. Freedom & Remembrance Memorial Park was created to bring back into remembrance the more than 2,600 Peorians who were buried at the former Moffatt Cemetery, which was located just north of the intersection of South Adams and Griswold streets.
