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James W. Loewen (1942-2021)

We mourn the loss of our friend and colleague and remain committed to the work he began.

Dongola

Illinois

Basic Information

Type of Place
Independent City or Town
Metro Area
Politics c. 1860?
Strongly Democratic
Unions, Organized Labor?

Sundown Town Status

Sundown Town in the Past?
Probable
Was there an ordinance?
Don't Know
Sign?
Perhaps, Some Oral Evidence
Year of Greatest Interest
1975
Still Sundown?
Don’t Know

Census Information

The available census data from 1860 to the present
Total White Black Asian Native Hispanic Other BHshld
1860
1870 3095 6Male
1880
1890 681
1900 733
1910
1920
1930 1910 0
1940
1950
1960 1523 0
1970
1980
1990 728
2000 806 1
2010
2020

Method of Exclusion

  • Threat of Violence

Main Ethnic Group(s)

  • Unknown

Group(s) Excluded

  • Black

Comments

June 10, 2003, spoke with c.80-year-old local historian and his wife. Dongola had no blacks now, never had any except “Some people moved in a few years ago, but they left. I don’t know why.”
“The old wives’ tale was that there was a sign at the edge of town: ‘Don’t let the sun set on you here, nigger!'” But that sign was before my time. [Do you think it was true that Dongola had such a policy?] “Oh, here, yes!”
[Have blacks ever tried to live in Dongola?] “They moved a young lady into Dongola with two little boys,” and they stayed a school year and left. That was about 1975. Only ones. As far as he knows, they got along fine.