New Philadelphia, Illinois

What the record says

He sold town lots to help bring his family into freedom.

Free Frank McWorter founded New Philadelphia in 1836. He had purchased his wife Lucy’s freedom and then his own while living in Kentucky. Farming and land sales helped him pursue freedom for more members of his family. [1] [2]

The town in western Illinois welcomed both Black and white residents. A railroad bypassed it in 1869, and the community declined as residents moved elsewhere. [1] The map of a town that once had streets and house lots now has to be read alongside a landscape where its buildings are gone.

Small objects can tell a large story.

National Park Service research describes cellar pits, wells, ceramics and children’s toys recovered through archaeology. [2] These are records of ordinary life: where people lived, what households used and how children played.

A broken cup is most useful when its location and research context stay attached. Our contribution request is for photographs you own, family knowledge and links to records—not objects collected from the site.

The history continues through descendants.

The National Park Service credits descendants, local communities, historical documents and archaeology with keeping New Philadelphia’s history alive. [1] If your family connects to the town, start with the person’s name, an approximate date and the document or family account that connects them.

We are an independent community history site. The official National Historic Site manages the protected townsite and provides current visitor information. [3]