Construction digs up historic Springfield neighborhood

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - State and federal officials are asking the public for input on the future of the remains of an old neighborhood with ties to a 1908 race riot that was uncovered at a Springfield construction site.

Workers on a $20 million underpass unearthed home foundations and other remnants from the neighborhood. Five homes at the site were burned during the riot.

Kevin Seals is the chief environmental scientist on the project. He tells The State Journal-Register (http://bit.ly/1AX3Ugp ) that public input could help shape the decision. A meeting is planned for Tuesday at the Prairie Capital Convention Center.

The area was a predominantly black neighborhood. A white mob targeted the neighborhood during the riot. The event was a factor in the formation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

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Information from: The State Journal-Register, http://www.sj-r.com