Dorothy Quincy Chapter

Dorothy Quincy Chapter of the NSDAR makes its home in beautiful, historic Quincy, Illinois. Originally the site of Native American villages for Sauk, Fox and Kickapoo, Quincy is located high on a bluff that forms a natural harbor on the westernmost point of the Mississippi River.

Sunset on the Mississippi

Quincy's location made it an important stopping point first for French-Canadian explorers, fur traders, military mail carriers and later, for riverboats and barges. Quincy also enjoys a proud heritage of offering refuge to runaway slaves, Mormons driven from their homes, Potawatomi Indians forced to march on the Trail of Death, and immigrants from many nations.

In 1858 Quincy was the site of a Lincoln-Douglas debate. Recently, the Lincoln-Douglas debate was recreated and broadcast on PBS. A bronze bas relief monument marks the site of the famous debate.

Lincoln-Douglas Debate Monument

Illinois was a free state, the slave state of Missouri lay directly across the Mississippi River. One of Quincy's earliest physicians, Dr. Richard Eells, was a stop on the underground railroad. Dr. Eells was convicted of aiding a runaway slave and fought the conviction all the way to the Supreme Court. Today, his home is a museum.

Dr. Eells Home- Museum

Quincy is known today for its many beautiful old homes on quiet, tree-lines streets

Quincy's own castle was built in 1900 in the Islamic style as a private residence. Overlooking the Mississippi, Villa Katherine,  neglected for years, has recently been renovated to its full splendor. Today, Villa Katherine serves as a tourist information center and can be toured, or rented for special occasions.

Villa Katherine Castle

Before he was Governor, John Wood purchased 160 acres of land and built a mansion in Quincy. He was impressed with the town's fertile soil, many large hardwood trees, plentiful game and excellent river location.

John Wood House Museum

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