Task force for Illinois Underground Railroad holds first meeting

Posted on January 17, 2024
Koehler will co-chair the task force along with State Representative Debbie Meyers-Martin. (WMBD-TV)

By WMBD-TV

SPRINGFIELD – On Tuesday, the Illinois Underground Railroad Task Force held its first meeting in Springfield. The purpose of the task force is to create a cohesive statewide history of the Underground Railroad within the state.

The task force was created last year through Senate Bill 1623. State Senator Dave Koehler introduced the bill and Tazewell County Clerk John Ackerman is a member of the task force. The task force will connect existing local projects with new projects creating educational and tourism opportunities for the state.

Koehler said it was nice to see the energy around the singular focus of how to promote Illinois and its rich history.

“Once this bill was known, it was filed, all of sudden we started getting inquiries from all over,” said Koehler. “Even the doorman at the Senate. I walked in one day and he said, ‘I’d like to be a part of this process because I know a lot about this I’ve been studying a certain aspect of it.’”

Koehler will co-chair the task force along with State Representative Debbie Meyers-Martin.

WMBD-TV can be reached at [email protected].

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