▁In ▁ 1 8 8 6 , ▁the ▁African - American ▁majority ▁worked ▁to ▁register ▁vot ers ▁and ▁gained ▁political ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁village . ▁As ▁with ▁most ▁political ▁enter pr ises , ▁fa ctions ▁developed ▁within ▁the ▁community . ▁ ▁Regional ▁capital ▁invest ment ▁largely ▁by pass ed ▁Brook lyn , ▁taking ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁compet ing ▁East ▁St . ▁Louis , ▁Illinois , ▁which ▁gained ▁the ▁all - important ▁rail road ▁connection . ▁Other ▁white - major ity ▁towns ▁also ▁benef ited ▁by ▁being ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁network ▁of ▁invest ment . ▁"[ A ] l most ▁none ▁of ▁the ▁all - Black ▁towns ▁obtained ▁a ▁rail road ." ▁The ▁small ▁village ▁soon ▁became ▁all ▁black . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 1 , ▁then - May or ▁Evans ▁dedicated ▁the ▁town ' s ▁new ▁post ▁office ▁with ▁the ▁name ▁Love jo y ▁( after ▁the ▁abol ition ist ▁E lij ah ▁P . ▁Love jo y , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁assass in ated ▁in ▁Al ton , ▁Illinois ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 7 ). ▁The ▁later ▁high ▁school ▁was ▁also ▁named ▁after ▁him . ▁Black ▁aut onomy ▁did ▁not ▁automatically ▁yield ▁unity ▁in ▁the ▁village . ▁T ensions ▁ran ▁high ▁with ▁class ▁and ▁color ▁conflicts ▁by ▁the ▁early ▁dec ades ▁of ▁the ▁tw enti eth ▁century , ▁and ▁evidence ▁of ▁political ▁cor ruption . ▁In ▁addition , ▁with ▁the ▁growth ▁in ▁number ▁of ▁young , ▁single ▁male ▁workers , ▁attract ed ▁to ▁industrial ▁jobs , ▁the ▁dem ograph