History of the Old Slave House February 15, 2010

Learn the story of John Hart Crenshaw and his plantation manor (commonly referred to as “The Old Slave House”) in Gallatin County, plus the stories of victims he kidnapped and sold into slavery, presented by author Jon Musgrave (Slaves, Salt, Sex and Mr. Crenshaw). Hear the history of the salt works in southeastern Illinois that served as the state’s first industry. As the lessee of the salt works, Crenshaw was the only Illinois resident legally entitled to keep slaves, and he became remarkably wealthy. At one point, his taxes amounted to one-seventh of the revenue of the entire state. Crenshaw owned thousands of acres of land, in addition to more than 700 slaves. The house itself has been recognized for its architecture—it’s on the National Register of Historic Places, and is recognized as a station on the “Reverse Underground Railroad”—the network of kidnappers that terrorized free residents of color in the border states with the threat of capture and sale into slavery. Musgrave was a journalist for The Daily Register in Harrisburg, Illinois, and has also written Handbook of Old Gallatin County and Southeastern Illinois and Egyptian Tales of Southern Illinois.

Official Website: http://www.marioncarnegielibrary.org