Charles Brown Gothic Cottage, built 1846, well-known stop on the Underground Railroad (currently in North Bloomfield, OH) Photo courtesy Wendell F. Lauth, 1999 |
Railroad to Freedom
In the decades of the early 19th century,
fugitive slaves from the South traveled northward by many
varied routes toward freedom in Canada or in safe havens in
free states like Ohio. The network of persons who assisted the
escapees became known as the Underground Railroad. The four
Ohio counties (Columbiana, Mahoning, Trumbull, and Ashtabula)
from the Ohio River to Lake Erie and bordering western
Pennsylvania were active locales for the Underground Railroad.
This project records Ohio's contribution to the Underground
Railroad and the history of the African American escape from
slavery through the assistance of heroic citizens. Includes
documentation of farms, family members, and houses that are
part of the story.
The search for early information, first-hand records
and newspaper accounts -- contemporary to actual events -- proved
fruitful in providing new understanding and in discovering
previously unknown persons who were involved in the Underground
Railroad. Biographies and obituaries were checked for indications
of anti-slavery activity by the person cited.
The search to discover and confirm the Underground
Railroad history continues as a renewed national focus points the
way to the new National Underground Railroad Freedom Center being
built in Ohio. It will open in 2003 during the state's bicentennial
year.
This project constitutes original historical research
and is exceptionally well-documented with a narrative of 30 pages
with footnotes and bibliographies, 30 slides with accompanying
descriptions, newspaper articles, a collection of short essays
called "Road to Freedom," Salem, Ohio Style, and "Pap's Diary,
Selections from the Diary of Daniel Howell Hise," anti-slavery
activist.
Originally submitted by: James A. Traficant, Jr., Representative (17th District).
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The Local Legacies project provides a "snapshot" of American Culture as it was expressed in spring of 2000. Consequently, it is not being updated with new or revised information with the exception of "Related Website" links.
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