Part II
Oberlin: “Stop 99” on the Underground Railroad
Oberlin has been at the vanguard of civil liberties in America, with Oberlin College as the first institution to open its doors to African-Americans (1835) and women (1837). A major center of the anti-slavery movement in the U.S., the town attracted many runaway slaves whose descendants still live in Oberlin today.
Oberlin Heritage Center’s Abolitionist Walk, outside First Church |
John Mercer Langston |
Underground Railroad Monument in Westwood Cemetery |
If ever a place “boasted” of more illustrious citizens laid to rest, it would be Westwood Cemetery [455 Morgan Street]. Amidst statuesque pines and oak trees are the graves of Simeon Bushnell, one of the Rescuers; Lewis Clarke, a former slave and abolitionist whom, it was believed, Harriet Beecher Stowe based her character George Harris on in Uncle Tom’s Cabin; the unmarked grave (see below) of four-year-old Lee Howard Dobbins; James Harris Fairchild; Charles Martin Hall, inventor of an inexpensive method of producing aluminum; James Fitch, who secretly drove John Price to Fairchild’s home; the abolitionist James Monroe; General Giles Waldo Shurtleff; and John Watson, a former slave, Oberlin businessman and a chief organizer of the Oberlin-Wellington Rescue.
Before Rosa Parks There Was Henry Lee
You’ll discover one of the most astounding stories of Oberlin in Henry Lee, a former slave buried in Westwood. Lee predated Rosa Park’s historic refusal to sit in the “colored section” of a bus in Montgomery, AL, on December 1, 1955 by almost a century. In 1865 in Wheeling, West Virginia, Lee refused to be uprooted from a first-class train seat and placed in a section reserved for black patrons. Four years later, Lee showed the same courage on another train; he was beaten and jailed. He sued the railroad and won the lawsuit – plus damages -- two years later. Lee was also adamant with Oberlin schools about removing the name “Sambo” from a textbook, claiming it was racist. His efforts paid off; the author pledged to remove the name in his next edition.
For educators and scholars who are interested in serious research, a must-visit would be the Oberlin College Archives, Special Collections, at the Mudd (Library) Center [148 West College Street, Fourth Floor.]. The Collection holds 2,500 to 3,000 titles related to the anti-slavery movement in the U.S. and especially to the activism of Oberlin College students and professors. They include such precious documents as the original Rescuer newspaper, published on the day of the Rescue, as well as hundreds of letters and manuscripts written by abolitionists. Here, too, you will find Southern plantation inventories and bills of sale for slaves. You will see such artifacts as the chain and lock for a 19-year-old slave named Margaret Toogood, who was unshackled by Union General Lew Wallace. Wallace donated the shackles to Oberlin College.
Tourists and groups already pay a visit to the future home of the Underground Railroad Center, the Oberlin Gasholder Building |
To add to the wealth of history, Oberlin is blessed with wonderful restaurants and shops. Rest your weary feet and tantalize your palate at The Feve [30 South Main Street] or Quick and Delicious [311 South Main Street]. Spend a couple days exploring the areas history, using the Oberlin Inn or other local lodging for your base while you explore.
Be sure to check out Oberlin’s renowned festivals. Juneteenth Celebration [June 17-19, 2011] is the nation’s oldest event commemorating the freeing of slaves in the U.S. (1865). You’ll be moved by lectures and a Westwood Cemetery walking tour at Oberlin’s Juneteenth festivities, plus you’ll enjoy a delectable community picnic with terrific music. Or you can bring out your inner artist at Oberlin’s annual Chalk Walk [June 25], creating chalk art on the “canvas” of Oberlin sidewalks. Be sure to bring the little ones to the Family Fun Fair [August 6], with antique autos on display, kids’ games and oldies music.
While Lorain County has played a proud, heroic and oftentimes tragic role in the history of the United States, it also celebrates the enduring spirit of life. You’ll find out, to be sure.
-Margaret Swendseid
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