CHARLES HENRY DEJOIE
- Program
- Subject
- Location
- Lat/Long
- Grant Recipient
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Illinois State Historical Society
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Industry & Commerce, People
- 9 S 12th St, Murphysboro, IL 62966, USA
- 37.76384, -89.33605
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Illinois State Historical Society
CHARLES HENRY DEJOIE
Inscription
CHARLES HENRY DEJOIEENTREPRENEUR CHARLES HENRY DEJOIE WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN TO OWN A COMMERCIAL BUILDING IN DOWNTOWN MURPHYSBORO. BORN IN 1856 IN BOONVILLE, MISSOURI, BY 1870 HE LIVED WITH HIS MOTHER AND SIBLINGS IN GRAND TOWER, ILLINOIS. DEJOIE ATTENDED FISK UNIVERSITY IN NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE IN 1874. HE WAS LATER A COAL MINER AND LANDLORD. IN 1901 HE PURCHASED A ONE-STORY COMMERCIAL BUILDING LOCATED ON THIS CORNER. HE LATER DOUBLED ITS SIZE AND ADDED A SECOND STORY. HE DIED IN 1918.
SPONSORED BY
THE CITY OF MURPHYSBORO, THE WILLIAM G. POMEROY FOUNDATION, AND THE ILLINOIS STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
JUNE 2023