Volunteer Millers of Fulton, IL, will host Connie Martin as guest presenter of “Pre-Civil War Quilts: Secret Codes to Freedom on the Under Ground Railroad.” Martin is an Historian and Speaker all over Illinois; currently, she resides in Aurora, IL. She finds joy in telling the secret codes and hidden messages, in family quilts her ancestors shared and passed down through generations to her mother and her. Six generations have shared the stories of safe routes used by the underground escapees and abolitionists assisting freedom seekers, from Kentucky, through Illinois, to freedom in Canada.
Connie’s mother, Dr. Clarice Boswell, made beautiful quilt replicas to show the codes, then she wrote a book, Lizzie’s Story: Slave Family’s Journey to Freedom. Martin will display quilts and share the family story on Monday, June 22, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., in the Fulton Windmill Cultural Center.
Light refreshments will be served following her presentation. The center is located at 111 Tenth Avenue and is accessible to those with disabilities. Contact 563-249-6115 if you have questions or concerns.