ÈkÓ (or Lagos Island) is a living archive of its own history.
There are hundreds of intersections in Lagos Island. At least six junctions stand out in Lagos, to tell the histories of ordinary Lagosians. Each chapter of the book begins at one of these intersections. You can explore these junctions below.
Every intersection in old Lagos has a story.
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At Omididun St & Inabẹrẹ St.
Otunba John Payne named the streets of Lagos in February 1868. Expore how this intersection in Òké Pòpó and Èpétèdó highlights the importance of streets and street names in Lagos.
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At Lake St & Ẹlẹ́gbàta St
British officers intervened in the rivalry between Kosoko and Akitoye. Historical records show that Elegbata Creek likely saved Olowogbowo from being destroyed during the bombardments by the British.
While the only visible trace of Elegbata creek that remains is the street name and the curve of the road, explore the history of the 1851 bombardments in the Olowogbowo quarter.
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At Water, Tinubu, & Ọdunlami
To see how Lagos was rebuilt in 1852 after it was destroyed, visit Tinubu Square. The origins of the CMS church house, the Wesleyan Church, and the first Government House aka “iron coffin” are bound to this space.
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At Joseph & Campbell
The old cemetery that was established at the intersection of Joseph and Campbell streets was one of many landmarks important for Oba Dosunmu’s land grants to Lagosians in the 1850s. Explore the eastern expansion of Eko from here.
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At Broad & Prison
Old Lagos had a debtor’s prison, as well as a colonial prison, colloquially known as Bridewell. Read about the race crisis around the wreck of the Thomas Bazley ship, and ways Lagosians used the local and coastal press to address racial injustice in the city.
Spyglass over Lagos Island
The images of each intersection above are screenshots from the dynamic spyglass application.
The top layer is contemporary Lagos, while the historical map below shows the city as it was in the late nineteenth century. The spyglass hovers over Olowogbowo and Itolo to explore Elegbata Creek, which was covered up in the 1890s to fight Malaria in the city.