"I am an invisible man. No, I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allan Poe; nor am I one of your Hollywood-movie ectoplasms. I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fiber and liquids--and I might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me."

 - Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man"

Documents + Articles

Honor Book Medical DET

From the Sangamon County Honor Book Records depicting the service in the Medical Corps, World War I.

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Men of the Month Mention, Maj. George Ford

Major George Ford is mentioned in article "Men of the Month."

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Man of Honor

Sagamon Honor Book and Record page 1091, Dr. Cecil Bruce Ford.

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Dr. Noel B. Ford, Crisis Magazine

Dr. Noel B. Ford was a medical doctor and surgeon who graduated from Meharry Medical School.  He is mentioned in the Crisis Magazine as a man of distinction.

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Elise Allen Award

Plaque detailing Elise F. Allen receiving the African American Hall of Fame award in Journalism, 1991.

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Traveler Weekly Newspaper, 1968

Old newspaper front page of The Traveler Weekly, 1968.  The paper was established in the fall of 1966 as a single 8 1/2 x 11 sheet with local news items and Elise's editorials...

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Elise Allen for Mayor

In another first, Elise Ford Allen became the first Afircan American female to run for mayor of Peoria, Illinois in 1973.  She ran with the intention of bringing to light the plights...

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The Five Negro Presidents, book by J. A. Rogers

Book cover of the book by J. A. Rogers, The Five Negro Presidents.  The book also shares information on West Ford, son of George Washington on page 5. (Research by Angela Allen...

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Inside Book Cover, The Five Negro Presidents, by J. A. Rogers

Description of the book cover, The Five Negro Presidents, by J. A. Rogers (research by Angela Allen Henry).

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List of 10th Calvary Soldiers Company L

This is the list of the men who joined the 10th Calvary Company L with Major George Ford.  

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Did George Washington Have an Enslaved Son?

The New Yorker posed the paternity of West Ford in an article titled: "Did George Washington Have an Enslaved Son" by Jill Abramson, March 2022. The article discusses Gum Springs...

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West Ford Display at Mount Vernon

This is a display of West Ford at the Mount Vernon Museum, 2022. It discusses his management of Mount Vernon and his assistance with the renovation process requested by the Mount Vernon...

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Proclamation From the Illinois Governor

Proclamation from Governor Pritzker for recognition of Elise Ford Allen's work in the community of Peoria.

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Proclamation from the Mayor

Proclamation from Mayor, Rita Ali, of Peoria, Illinois for Elise F. Allen's service to the City, 2021.

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