Tazewell County celebrates Juneteenth, honors local historical figure

PEKIN (25 News Now) - Tazewell County honored a little-known historical figure Saturday ahead of Juneteenth.

Peter Logan was a freed man who escaped from Arkansas. Historians say in 1837, he bought 80 acres of land to create a farm for himself and his family, making him the first enslaved man to buy land in the area.

His 80 acres also served as a stop on the Underground Railroad for those seeking freedom.

“While there are items in our history that we’re not proud of, this is something that we can be proud of is that there were a lot of abolitionists in our area that were willing to step forward to help individuals on their pathway to freedom,” Tazewell County Clerk John Ackerman said.

The county displayed the land deed that proves Logan’s ownership of the property, and said the historical records were hidden and hard to find.

The county hopes to keep uncovering and honoring those individuals lost to history.

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