Governor Coles Monument - Edwardsville, Illinois
Posted by: BruceS
N 38° 47.895 W 089° 58.657
16S E 241407 N 4298600
Memorial for the second Governor of Illinois located at the northeast corner of Valley View Cemetery in Edwardsville, Illinois.
Waymark Code: WMC9JY
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 08/12/2011
Views: 2
Art Deco styled limestone memorial for Edward Coles, the second Governor of Illinois. The memorial was constructed by the state of Illinois in 1928 and 1929. The memorial features a bronze bas-relief portait of Coles sculpted by Leon Hermant. The memorial is inscribed:
On front center-
Commemorating The Career Of
Edward Coles
Who By Steadfastness And Courage
In 1823 Kept Slavery
Out Of The Constitution Of Illinois
A Grateful State
Marks This Spot In The Community
Where His Noble Work Was Done
Born December 15, 1786, At Enniscorthy, Virginia
Died July 7, 1868 In Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Private Secretary To President James Madison, 1809-1815
Special Emissary The The United States To Russia 1816
Register Of The Lands Office In Edwardsville 1819-1822
Second Covernor Of The State of Illinois 1822-1826
Left front:
Believing Slavery To Be
Both Injurious And Impolitic.
I Believe Myself Bound, Both
As a Citizen And An Officer, to
Do All In My Power to Prevent
Its Introduction Into The State
Edward Coles
Right front:
As I Would Not Be A Slave,
So I would Not Be A Master
This Expresses My Idea Of
Democracy Whatever Differs
From This, To The Extent Of The
Difference, Is Not Democracy.
Abraham Lincoln
On back:
Erected By The
State Of Illinois In 1928
Len Small, Governor
C.R. Miller, Director
Public Works And Buildings
Leslie Small, Director
Purchases and Construction
William J. L. Lindstrom
Supervising Architect
Schmidt, Garden And Erikson, Architects
L. Hermant, Sculptor
Edward Coles was a former slave owner from Virginia, he became an abolitionist and won the 1822 gubernatorial election as the candidate of the anti-slavery forces. He helped defeat the call for a constitutional convention to consider the legalization of slavery in Illinois.
The memorial is maintained by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency as a state historic site. The memorial was formerly located at Lincoln School in Edwardsville. Coles is buried in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.