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CHARLES HENRY DEJOIE

Program
Illinois State Historical Society
Subject
Industry & Commerce, People
Location
9 S 12th St, Murphysboro, IL 62966, USA
Lat/Long
37.76384, -89.33605
Grant Recipient
Illinois State Historical Society
Historic Marker

CHARLES HENRY DEJOIE

Inscription

CHARLES HENRY DEJOIE

ENTREPRENEUR 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