Black nurse working at Camp Grant during WWI

Honoring Edna de Priest

How much do you know about Rockford's Black history? In celebration and recognition of Black History Month, the Rockford Register Star has partnered with the Rockford Public Library's Local History Room to bring our readers a local Black history fact of the day.

Visit rrstar.com or the Rockford Register Star newspaper each day throughout the month of February to read about the people, places and events that played significant roles in shaping the rich fabric of Rockford's Black history.

February 10, 2024

During World War I, Edna de Priest became one of the few Black nurses at Camp Grant in Rockford to attend to soldiers. Prior to arriving at the training grounds, de Priest worked at Providence Hospital in Chicago. She graduated from there with full honors in 1914.

Want to learn more about Edna de Priest? Visit the Rockford Public Library's Local History Room at rockfordpubliclibrary.org/local-history or in person at the Hart Interim Library, 214 N. Church St.