SIUE CODES Program Featured in East-West Gateway's Local Government Briefings
Posted April 23, 2026
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's Community-Oriented Digital Engagement (CODES) program was recently spotlighted in the East-West Gateway Council of Governments' Local Government Briefings newsletter on April 16. In the newsletter's EndNotes section, titled "A Tower, a Grove, and a Complicated History," SIUE CODES students were recognized for their work exploring the history of enslavement connected to Tower Grove House, the Victorian residence of Henry Shaw, founder of the Missouri Botanical Garden.
The project sheds light on Shaw's documented history of enslaving people and the role Tower Grove House played as a site from which freedom seekers escaped via the Underground Railroad.
The CODES program's efforts contribute to a broader initiative by the Missouri Botanical Garden to expand on-site historical signage and interpretation throughout Tower Grove House, ensuring this important chapter of American history is acknowledged and preserved for future visitors.
