Bill > HR0490

This resolution honors Lewis E. Isbell, a remarkable African American pioneer and activist in early Chicago history, by designating October 13, 2025, as Lewis Isbell Day in the State of Illinois. The resolution highlights Isbell's significant life achievements, including being one of the first Black residents in Chicago after Jean Baptiste du Sable, establishing a prestigious barbershop at the Sherman House Hotel where he served prominent figures like Presidents Lincoln and Grant, and becoming a crucial member of the Underground Railroad. As a dedicated abolitionist, Isbell was a member of the American Anti-Slavery Society, risked his life helping nearly 1,000 freedom seekers escape to Canada, and survived an attack by a slave hunter in 1857. During the Civil War, he was commissioned by the Secretary of War to recruit "colored troops" for the 29th Regiment. The resolution commemorates Isbell's lifelong commitment to fighting for racial equality, his entrepreneurial success, and his important but often overlooked contributions to Chicago's history, while also noting that he died on October 13, 1905, and is buried in an unmarked grave at Mount Olivet Catholic Cemetery.

Government Affairs

https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/BillStatus?DocNum=490&GAID=18&DocTypeID=HR&SessionID=114&GA=104