What if I told you that Pembroke Township, right here in Illinois, was once a haven for Black farmers? Established in the 1860s by former slaves, Pap and Mary Eliza Tetter, Pembroke Township became a symbol of self-sufficiency and agricultural heritage. These resilient families built a thriving community, cultivating the land and passing down their farming traditions through generations. Pembroke Township supplied food to Chicago, nurturing the growth of a local food system that included on-farm markets and agritourism. Imagine the vibrant energy of those days, with orchards laden with fruits ripe for picking and fields brimming with the bounty of their labor. Sadly, over time, much of the land originally owned by these farming families has been lost. Today, organizations like the Black Oaks Center are working tirelessly to reclaim and restore this land, rekindling the spirit of Pembroke Township’s agricultural legacy and ensuring its future for generations to come.
Saint John the Evangelist
Whispers of history echo from these stones. This is the site of Saint John the Evangelist. Once a vibrant church