Lombard's ties to the Underground Railroad
Frank Peck, c. 1920s.
Portrait artist Sheldon Peck used his homestead in Babcock's Grove (now Lombard) to help Underground Railroad travelers. He was a radical abolitionist, as were many of the area townspeople. A radical abolitionist urged the full and immediate termination of slavery.
In August 2011, the Sheldon Peck Homestead was inducted into the Network to Freedom – a list of verified Underground Railroad locations. Historical Society staff and volunteers worked over several years researching the Underground Railroad, genealogy and property lines near the Homestead, as well as Sheldon Peck’s art.
Sheldon's youngest son, Frank Peck (born 1853), recalls as many as seven slaves at a time hidden in the house. Frank's diary tells of Old Charley, a memorable freedom seeker who stayed at the Peck House on his way to freedom, and how little Frank sat on his knee asking him questions. Frank wrote down the words of a song he recalled singing with Old Charley:
Roll on tibbler moon,
guide the tabler not astray
Whilest the nightingale song is in full tune
While I sadly complain to the moon
Old Charley, Susan Peck, c.1856, On Loan to the Lombard Historical Society from Sandy Schroeder, Descendent of Sanford Peck.
Frank Peck also noted, Our home was used as headquarters for all opponents of slavery in this part of the country. Visit the Sheldon Peck Homestead to see the portrait we believe is Old Charley, painted by Sheldon's daughter Susan!
We are not sure where freedom seekers were hidden on this site. It is quite possible that Peck let them rest in the barn until they headed further north. With the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law in 1850, Peck risked fines and imprisonment by carrying out the duties of "station master." Underground Railroad activities ceased with the passage of the 13th Amendment after the Civil War.
Please continue reading about our research “Seeking Charley” below.
Visit the Sheldon Peck Homestead at 355 E. Parkside, Lombard, IL
Tuesdays & Thursdays: 12 p.m. - 4 p.m. and Saturdays: 12 a.m. - 4 p.m.
(Closed December and January)
Learn More about Old Charley and the Underground Railroad
In 2018, the Lombard Historical Society received a grant to continue to research Old Charley, the freedom seeker who spent time at the Peck home. The research team, Jeanne Schultz Angel, Linda Dixon, Jean Crockett and Sarah Richardt, have been traveling the state, and searching digitally, to find any information that links known “Charleys” in the state with our Charley.
Although this has been a needle in a haystack project, our findings and processes are important. The research team focused on written histories from newspapers, books, oral histories, letters and journals to track down freedom seekers and conductors of African-American descent to bring their stories to light, and then compare and contrast specific aspects of their histories to see if they could be the Charley that the Pecks knew. Our travels took us through Illinois and Missouri.
It is our hope that this will further the research of the stories of African-Americans. Each location visited is documented with a contact and all of the bibliographical resources found at each location.
Download the full report on Old Charley, the full citation list, or a list of travel locations contacted, by clicking the “Learn More” button below.
