First slave freed by Lincoln buried in Peoria
Phil Luciano Journal Star
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A large sign with the name of 48 Civil War veterans hangs on a fence in Peoria. The area is believed to be the final resting place of the veterans and others, including Nance Legins-Costley, the first slave legally freed by Abraham Lincoln.Matt Dayhoff | Journal Star (AP)
PEORIA (AP) This 1892 undertaker’s report by the Peoria Health Department records the April 6 death of Nance Legins-Costley, about halfway down the page on the left. The entry has several errors, including her name listed as “Nancy Costly.” Also, though she was born in Kaskaskia in 1813, the ledger lists her birthplace as Maryland and her death age as 104.