The City of Barry will celebrate the emancipation of one of the area’s most famous residents.
The city along with the New Philadelphia will celebrate the 205th anniversary of Free Frank McWhorter being emancipated from slavery. McWhorter obtained his freedom in 1819 in Pulaski County, Kentucky and moved north to Pike County, Illinois where he would go on to plat and found the first city by a Black person in the United States – New Philadelphia. The location of the town was recently named the newest addition to the National Park System in December 29, 2022.
McWorter established the Pike County town of New Philadelphia in 1836, partially to raise funds to free other family members. He and his family bought the freedom of 16 other family members between 1817 and 1857 who all spent at least some time in the fully integrated town. The purchase sum was over $14,000, which would be well over a half million dollars in today’s money.
A ceremony to mark McWhorter’s freedom was held at 10 a.m. at McWorter’s home church, First Baptist Church of Barry, located at 900 North Main Street in Barry. A special proclamation by Barry Mayor Shawn Rennecker to name September 13th as Free Frank Freedom Day was announced today after the ceremony.