Points of Pride
The points of pride are brief histories of people, places, art, and events of historical relevance within Champaign County. Check back often as we continue to share history as it is uncovered in the community.
Points of Pride are categorized by Visual Arts, Community, Education, Military, Government, and Social Life.
Image credit: Top image: "In All My Years: Portraits of Older Blacks in Champaign-Urbana" by Raymond Bial (Champaign County Historical Museum)
Education
Taylor Thomas Lane
Located between Fourth and Fifth Streets (west to east), and Bradley and Beardsley Avenues (north to south), Taylor Thomas Lanes is named after the first Black teacher in the Urbana school system. He served as a teacher and administrator between 1956 and 1977. He was also a President of the local NAACP chapter and volunteered with many social service organizations.
Image credit: Top image: Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.
Military
Dorie Miller Drive
Doris "Dorie" Miller (1919–1943) was the first African American to receive the Navy Cross—the U.S. Navy's highest medal of valor. Miller served in the Navy as a cook aboard the battleship West Virginia and, during the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, he acted heroically to save several soldiers and shoot down several enemy planes using an anti-aircraft machine gun, despite having no training using the weapon. Miller did not have direct ties to Champaign County, but his acts of courage earned him admiration from throughout the nation, and a street in northeastern Champaign was named in his honor.
Image credit: University of Illinois
Military
Memorial Stadium
The columns at Memorial Stadium (1402 S. First Street, Champaign) are etched with the names of University of Illinois alumni who died in war. Among the names is that of William Frank Earnest (class of 1919), who was the first African American from the county to die in battle in World War I.
Image credit: Above: Cecil Dewey Nelson in World War I Uniform, c. 1919, Courtesy of Estelle L. Merrifield Collection, Urbana, Illinois │Below: Experience Champaign-Urbana (Marcus Flinn)
Military
Nelson Court
Part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Subdivision in Champaign, Nelson Court is named after Cecil Dewey Nelson (1898-1971), a charter and lifetime member of the William F. Earnest American Legion Post 559 where he served as its Commander. He also served as a Legion officer at both the state and national levels. A decorated sergeant in the all-Black 370th Infantry Regiment in World War 1, Mr. Nelson was a recipient of the French Croix de Guerre for bravery in battle and a Purple Heart.
Image credit: Top: Katherine Pope; Bottom: Barbara Suggs Mason
Government
Paul Lawrence Pope Building
Paul Lawrence Pope was born in Champaign, IL, the son of Cecil and Carrie Alice (Lee) Pope on November 30, 1935. He was the youngest of six children in a family with deep roots in Champaign County.
After graduating from Champaign High School, he entered the army. Following the military, he joined the Champaign County Sheriff’s Department and served in the department for nearly 30 years, reaching the rank of lieutenant. He died on June 22, 1996. Later that year, the Champaign County Board passed a resolution to name the new county jail after him. The building was dedicated on October 26, 1996.
Image credit: Urbana Park District
Social Life
King Park
King Park (915 W. Wascher Dr., Urbana) was established in 1967. Since then, the park has grown in size, and amenities include the Jettie Rhodes pavilion and a gazebo. It is named after the civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Image credit: Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church
Social Life
Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church
Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church was organized on May 7, 1925, and its first service was held on December 25 of that year. The church was originally located at 411 E. Grove Street. Today, the church stands at 1310 N. Sixth Street in Champaign.