▁and ▁he ▁is ▁documented ▁as ▁having ▁lived ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁for ▁dec ades . ▁Pr isc illa ▁Baltimore ▁built ▁a ▁house ▁on ▁his ▁former ▁land , ▁which ▁she ▁occupied ▁from ▁ 1 8 5 1 - 1 8 7 2 . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 8 5 0 s , ▁the ▁African - American ▁population ▁of ▁the ▁village ▁was ▁about ▁ 2 0 0 . ▁ ▁Before ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War ▁and ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁sla very , ▁residents ▁here ▁may ▁have ▁used ▁Qu inn ▁Chap el ▁A ME ▁Church ▁and ▁Ant io ch ▁Bapt ist ▁Church ▁( 1 8 3 8 ) ▁as ▁stations ▁on ▁the ▁Under ground ▁Rail road ▁to ▁aid ▁slaves ▁esc aping ▁to ▁freedom . ▁Both ▁of ▁these ▁church ▁buildings ▁have ▁surv ived . ▁ ▁On ▁July ▁ 8 , ▁ 1 8 7 3 , ▁Brook lyn , ▁Illinois ▁was ▁incorpor ated . ▁By ▁ 1 8 8 0 , ▁its ▁population ▁included ▁ 3 7 1 ▁African - American ▁and ▁ 2 0 3 ▁European - American ▁residents . ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁its ▁residents ▁joined ▁in ▁taking ▁new ▁industrial ▁jobs , ▁comm uting ▁to ▁those ▁in ▁East ▁St . ▁Louis ▁and ▁nearby ▁areas . ▁" Black s ▁who ▁migr ated ▁to ▁what ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁Brook lyn ▁were ▁attract ed ▁to ▁the ▁possibilities ▁of ▁working ▁in ▁an ▁industrial ized ▁settlement ▁that ▁would ▁enjoy ▁race ▁aut onomy ▁and ▁self - det erm in ism ."