More Historical Adventures: Underground Railroad Part Two

I know you've all been on the edge of your seat waiting for my first hand account of the Lorain/Sheffield Village portion of the "On the Trail to Freedom"Underground Railroad tour! Never fear my friends,  the wait is over, and I'm back to tell you all about my afternoon checking out these historical sites.

Our first stop of the day was the Burrell Homestead. This house was built around 1820, and for a while it was actually used by the Oberlin Collegiate Institute. Later it became a station on the Underground Railroad.


                                                 I can only imagine how many lives were changed forever because of this house and others that became stops for people escaping to their freedom. If these walls could talk I'm sure we'd hear some truly shocking stories about the people that lived through such an ugly patch of history.


Not only is the Burrell Homestead hugely historically significant, it's on a beautiful property just a few minutes away from French Creek Reservation to balance your day of history with some general fun outdoors. Kaitlin and I certainly couldn't resist the trees in front of the house.

 I mean, how could we? They were just begging to be climbed! Would you expect anything different from a couple of interns spending the day outside?

After we thoroughly explored the area outside the house (we weren't able to go inside, but there are tours available for you to plan your visit around! Keep an eye on our calendar of events for the next one.) Next, we hit the road to make our way to our final stop, Station 100.

Being near a place as busy as Lake Erie, it's no surprise that even our commute was an adventure in itself. We were going down the road when all of a sudden traffic stopped just before the bridge. I knew the bridge was often lifted to let tall boats pass through, but I'd never actually seen it myself. It was really interesting! If you look to the left of the bridge, you can see the top of the sailboat that's heading for open water.

After the boat passed us, we were once again en route to the beautiful Station 100 monument at Black River Landing in Lorain. 

Station 100, — the last stop to freedom — is said to be the area near the mouth of the Black River and the shores of Lake Erie. This is where slaves would finally escape the United States into Canada.





After being at the monument for a little while, we caught a glimpse of something near by. Much to our excitement, we had stumbled upon one of the stops on the Follow the Fish Art and Adventure Trail! The goal of the project is to connect public art to local businesses and guide people to some of the really cool places and events in Lorain County. They come in a variety of sizes, and this one is huge! I could probably crawl up in it if I wanted to (though I'm not recommending that, it is a piece of art). Be sure to keep an eye out on your visit for the other fish!

Recognize that sail boat? I think it's the same one we saw pass under the bridge!

Kaitlin and I ended our day with a pit stop at K-Cream Korner on our way to Lakeview Beach. It was too nice of a day not to stop and small the roses, literally, at the rose garden. It was so tempting to go wade in that beautiful blue water, but we did have to get back to the office. I guess that's an experience for another day!

~Melody

Historical Adventures: Underground Railroad Part One

For our second adventure Melody and I decided to travel along Lorain County’s Underground Railroad Tour. We left early on a Wednesday morning, equipped with Visit Lorain County's On the Trail to Freedom guide, in search of information and new sights. We chose a beautiful day for exploring, it was one of the first sunny days in a few days. Due to unexpected construction, the drive included some creative turns while trying to get to our first location.

The Underground Railroad marker

We started in Oberlin at the Underground Railroad Marker; Garden and First Church. We learned that First Church was the meeting site of the Oberlin Anti-Slavery Society.  From First Church we walked through Tappan Square, which seemed strangely empty, yet peaceful, since Oberlin College is on summer break. Our next stop was the Underground Railroad Sculpture located across from Oberlin College Conservatory of Music. The healing garden, located near the sculpture, contains plants that represent those that were used by slaves on the road to freedom. It was a very pretty setting, I couldn't help but wish my residence hall at school had such an interesting sculpture in front of it.

Oberlin Heritage Center

Melody and I were told that the Oberlin Heritage Center was the place to go for authentic experiences and celebrate the past, so that was our next stop. There we talked to another Leadership Lorain County intern, Michelle, who showed us a map of the Underground Railroad, and a few other interesting pieces of history located at the Heritage Center. I asked about "hidey-holes" or hidden rooms and they told us that the Bardwell House had one but unfortunately isn't open to the public. We drove by it on our way back to the visitors center. It looked like a perfectly normal house to me. It would be pretty cool to be the person living in that house now!

Scanning the QR code

From the Oberlin Heritage Center we made our way to the Westwood Cemetery located on Morgan Street.  Once we arrived at the cemetery we walked to the back corner where the majority of the graves are located. Melody scanned the QR code in our handy On the Trail to Freedom guide to help us find the graves. You could also download the trail here. Since I grew up in Oberlin, many of the names I saw walking through the cemetery seemed familiar to me. Quite a few buildings in Oberlin are named after people who are buried in Westwood. We managed to find quite a few graves. It was amazing to see how many remarkable people lived in the same town as me and to learn about their active role in history.

After all that adventure we decided it was time for a cool treat! Cowhaus Creamery is a fantastic artisan hand-spun ice cream shop on East College Street. With such a great vibe and service the ice cream was definitely worth our side trip! Melody sampled a few flavors before deciding on a seasonal cherry sorbet. I stuck with my favorite, strawberry. We paused a moment while enjoying our ice cream to admire the cute cow decor!

We weren't able to fit the entire tour into one day so stay tuned for part two!

~Kaitlin

P.S. If you find your adventure is too much for one day...check out our lodging info at www.visitloraincounty.com

Eight Miles That Changed a Nation

Wellington/Oberlin History and the Underground Railroad
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

The first stop in your tour around town should be the Oberlin Heritage Center [73 South Professor Street]. It is the former home of Civil War General Giles W. Shurtleff, who led the first African-American regiment from Ohio to serve in the Civil War. It later became the home of abolitionist James Monroe. Here, you’ll find the majestic portrait of Dr. James Harris Fairchild, who harbored John Price after his re-capture and who became a president of Oberlin College. With regular tours, “History Walks” and impassioned docents, the Museum gives you plenty of history lessons on Oberlin’s activist citizens, both white and African-American.

John Mercer Langston

Oberlin is a great walking town, so you’ll find most historic homes within reach. The Langston House [207 East College Street] was the home of John Mercer Langston, Ohio’s first African-American attorney and an ardent abolitionist. His brother Charles Langston was an Oberlin-Wellington Rescuer. Then, stop by the Bardwell House [181 East Lorain], home of the Reverend John Bardwell and his wife Cornelia, both abolitionists who hid runaway slaves under the eaves of their house. The Langston and Bardwell Houses are privately owned and not open to the public. The First Church in Oberlin [106 North Main Street] was the historic meeting place of the Oberlin Anti-Slavery Society, and the site of the haunting memorial and funeral service for a four-year-old slave child, Lee Howard Dobbins.

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

One of the most poignant symbols of the Underground Railroad held currently in the Collection is the tombstone of the slave child Lee Howard Dobbins. Too ill to travel to Canada with his family, he was kept behind in Oberlin, where he died on March 26, 1853, just days after his arrival. His tombstone was removed from Westwood Cemetery for safekeeping, and it will be transferred to the new Oberlin Underground Railroad Center [South Main Street, adjacent to the former Missler supermarket] once the building has been restored. “Serving as a tourist gateway and transportation hub, the Center will celebrate Oberlin’s rich history in the anti-slavery movement and honors African-American heritage to promote a better understanding of the past and provide a pathway to our future,” says Oberlin Assistant City Manager Darlene Colaso, explaining the Center’s mission. With a multi-phased restoration plan, the Oberlin-focused Center is expected to open in several years, and will feature ongoing historic and educational exhibitions in a serene setting of lawns and gardens. Colaso adds, “The project has far-reaching economic development tentacles that will not only touch those in Oberlin, but will benefit the surrounding regional area, as well. Oberlin has many compelling stories. I believe that the Center, coupled with Oberlin’s rich history, will quickly become a national draw.”

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

Eight Miles That Changed a Nation

Wellington/Oberlin History and the Underground Railroad

Part I

Photo: Holly Miller

We’re all dreading the rising price of gas this summer. If you can’t afford to travel far, give your family a meaningful experience this summer and show them the real origins of the Civil War – right here in Lorain County. This year, 2011, marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War in America, and it all began in the towns of Wellington and Oberlin on September 13, 1858.

Back then, Northeast Ohio was a hotbed of the abolition movement in the U.S.  An “Underground Railroad” had been operating for years, bringing slaves to freedom in Ohio and then to Canada, which had, under the British Slavery Abolition Act, banned slavery in 1833. 

But it was a secret railroad with no engine or whistle, no iron tracks or depots, no tickets or schedules. In the darkness of night, slaves made their way up from the South to Ohio via “conductors,” or guides. They found shelter in hiding places and safe houses called “stations.” Wellington, OH, was “Stop 98” on the Underground Railroad; Oberlin, farther north, was “Stop 99” on the way to Lake Erie and the boat trip to freedom in southern Ontario, Canada.

The Wellington-Oberlin Rescue

On September 13, 1858, a scared and fragile 17-year-old former slave, John Price, was tricked into being captured in Oberlin by Federal marshals, who were acting under the laws of the Fugitive Slave Act (1850). The marshals planned to return Price to Kentucky and his “owners,” despite the fact that Price had lived as a free man in Oberlin for two years. There had been three attempted captures of former slaves in the area in 1858 alone. The marshals drove Price in stealth to the American House (Wadsworth Hotel) in Wellington. 

American House Hotel in Wellington.
Photo courtesy of the Oberlin College Archives.

Passions ran so high against slavery in Northeast Ohio that few residents of Oberlin or Wellington dallied or debated when they learned that Price had been captured. They took action. They sped off in buggies for the eight-mile journey to Wellington, along what is now Hallauer Road.

More than 200 Wellington and Oberlin residents -- former slaves and free men, lawyers, college students and professors, religious leaders and ordinary citizens – gathered at the American House in Wellington to pressure the Federal marshals into releasing Price. The marshals refused. Finally, 37 men -- 11 from Wellington, 24 from Oberlin and two from Pittsfield and Penfield – orchestrated the dramatic re-capture of young Price and returned him to Oberlin. It was a bloodless event. Price was hidden in the home of Dr. James Fairchild, who later became President of Oberlin College. The 37 men who led the rescue were arrested and sent to Cleveland for trial.

The Rescuers at the Cleveland Jail

Charles Henry Langston, one of the African-American rescuers who was tried, plead to the Cleveland court:

“We have a common humanity. You would do so; your manhood would require it; and no matter what the laws might be, you would honor yourself for doing it; your friends would honor you for doing it; your children to all generations would honor you for doing it; and every good and honest man would say, you had done right!”

Anti-slavery sentiments prevailed, and Langston was given a light sentence. The “Oberlin-Wellington Rescue” was reported as a triumph throughout the Union media and further roused anti-slavery sentiment, which spurred the start of the Civil War in America. While John Price finally made his way to Canada as a free man, no further evidence of his life there has been discovered.

When you retrace the dramatic history of Lorain County this summer or beyond, make sure to visit these sites:

Wellington: “Stop 98” on the Underground Railroad

Webster House
Lorain Public Library photo

You can literally drive by “Stop 98” on the Underground Railroad: the Alonzo Webster House [located at 46785 Route 18 West], which hid many runaway slaves. The house is now a private residence and is not open to the public. Webster was a cousin of statesman Daniel Webster.

Be sure to chat with Tim Simonson, owner of the Simonson Clock Shop [226 South Main Street], who lives and breathes Wellington history. Curator of The Spirit of ’76 Museum in town, Tim recalls how, as a boy, his parents proudly showed him houses that harbored runaway slaves. His great-, great-grandparents were witnesses to the Rescue.

Spirit of '76 Museum, Wellington

The site of the Wellington-Oberlin Rescue, American House, was torn down, and its place is the Herrick Memorial Library [101 Willard Memorial Square]. A must-stop is The Spirit of ’76 Museum [201 North Main Street], which houses hundreds of artifacts on the Wellington-Oberlin Rescue, the Civil War and more. Here you’ll find original photographs of the Rescuers, court proceedings related to them and a bust of the revolutionary abolitionist John Brown, who led the Harpers Ferry raid. Scott Markel, vice president of the Southern Lorain County Historical Society, is proud to announce the recent, exciting discovery of abolitionist meeting documents, a rarity in the secret anti-slavery movement. The Museum will begin transcribing these papers this summer for display at a future date.
Also housed in the Museum are a complete collection of Civil War guns and bullets, plus Grand Army of the Republic uniforms. A special bonus, you’ll find prints by artist Archibald Willard, who is buried in the Greenwood Cemetery in Wellington. Willard crafted the famous painting “The Spirit of ’76” after he saw a parade pass through Wellington’s town square.

Wellington Town Hall

Because of its extensive collection, you’ll want to linger longer in the Museum, but why not take a break? Head for lunch at the Bread-N-Brew [100 South Main Street], a bakery and gourmet coffee shop with delectable sandwiches and bread. Across the street you can’t miss Wellington Town Hall, with its stunning Byzantine cupolas. Later, take a spin around town to view Wellington’s breathtaking, Victorian-era mansions.
Wellington is also rich in fairs and festivals, including the Scottish Games, the Lorain County Fair, the Wellington Cheese Festival and Harvest of the Arts.

-Margaret Swendseid

Saving the Oberlin Gasholder-Honoring Oberlin's Underground Railroad History

Underground Railroad Center Project 
Community Update
Saturday, September 11, 2010

Ever wonder what the interesting round building behind the Oberlin McDonalds is? This is your chance to have a peek inside! The City of Oberlin’s Underground Railroad Center Implementation Team will be hosting a community update on Saturday, September 11th at 11am at the site of the Gasholder Building (the roundhouse structure, directly behind McDonalds), South Main Street in Oberlin.

Join the Implementation Team for an update on the not-too-distant future of the Oberlin Underground Railroad Center and park-and-ride project. there will be a short program comprised of a brief history of the efforts to establish this historic center, a local musical arrangement, an appreciation presentation, coupled with conceptual drawings and a limited tour of this unique architectural structure.

For more information on the project, contact the City of Oberlin at 440.775.7217 or check out the website at www.cityofoberlin.com

Visitors exploring Oberlin’s Underground Railroad visit the future home of the Oberlin Underground Railroad Center. 

View Oberlin Gasholder Building in a larger map

2010 Juneteenth Festival in Oberlin

Oberlin’s Juneteenth Festivities are almost upon us!

Though the holiday has since come to broadly commemorate the end of slavery in the United States, June 19th, 1865 actually corresponds to the announcement of the end of slavery in the state of Texas. Slavery was of course formally abolished with Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, but it took General Gordon Granger and a large contingent of Union soldiers entering Galveston to successfully deliver the message. From the balcony of a downtown villa, General Granger read the following proclamation:

The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involved an absolute equality ot personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages.

The Juneteenth Celebration, an official Texas holiday since 1980, has since spread to other states. The growing popularity of this day of remembrance and respect signals, perhaps, a heightened sensitivity in America to the facts of our history; it's no surprise that Oberlin is at the forefront of such a movement. In 2004 the Oberlin City Council passed a resolution establishing Juneteenth as an officially recognized day of commemoration and celebration. The town’s festivities are particularly interesting as the town adds it’s own rich history of abolitionist activism to the celebration.

This year Oberlin's Juneteenth takes as its theme, 1860: Oberlin on the Eve of the War. Educational presentations and historical reenactments will focus on how little, unassuming Oberlin, in its unfailing commitment to abolition, contributed immeasurably to the advent of war.

Throughout the antebellum period Oberlin was a final stop on the underground railroad. Community members, faculty, and students would routinely aid runaway slaves on their road to freedom. Earning a nationwide reputation, the small Ohio town was just as reviled by Southern slave owners as it was lauded by northern abolitionists.

Oberlin was also home to runaway slaves who had chosen to remain in the United States instead of continuing to Canada. Their first hand knowledge of slavery and ability to inspire the community to action proved indispensable to the movement. Westwood Cemetery is the final resting place of such liberal lights as Lewis Clarke (the basis for the character George Harris in Harriet Beecher Stowe's seminal novel Uncle Tom's Cabin), Henry Lee (runaway slave, Oberlin graduate and legal activist), John Scott (emancipated slave and participant in the rescue of runaway slave John Price), and Mary Kellogg (emancipated slave and ardent activist). The great African-American activists Wilson Bruce and Henry Evans are also buried at Westwood.

Also laid to rest at Westwood is Lee Howard Dobbins, a four year old fugitive slave whose harrowing story will be featured at this year's festival. Lee Howard reached Oberlin on the underground railroad in 1953 with an adoptive mother, but was too sick to travel any farther. Leaving Lee Howard in the care of an Oberlin family, his adoptive mother fled with several other children to escape their white pursuer, Lee Howard's plantation-owning father. The child died of consumption several days later. Over 1000 people attended his funeral in First Church. But it was more than just a memorial service; the event was a rallying moment for Oberlin's anti-slavery moment. By contributing ten cents apiece, the town purchased a headstone. Rev. Thome instructed the congregation to

Let that grave be a sacred spot. Plant there the flower to be watered by the tears of the future visitor. Erect a monument to the memory of the little slave boy, bearing the inscription 'Resurgam' and believe that as certainly as this little on shall rise again, so surely is written on the institution of slavery, 'it shall fall.'

Learn more about Lee Howard Dobbins and other fascinating pieces of nineteenth-century Oberlin history at the Juneteenth Festival. The schedule is as follows:

Sunday, June 13th

• A memorial service for Lee Howard Dobbins in First Church, followed by an ice cream social on the lawn. 6 pm.

Thursday, June 17th

• Juneteenth Comedy Night. 7:30 pm.

Friday, June 18th

• Oberlin in 1860 Trolley Tour. 10:30 am.

•  Children's Book Launch and Reception. 12:00 pm.

• Westwood Cemetery Tour. 3:00 pm.

• Juneteenth Community Picnic. 4:00 pm.

• Maafa Memorial Service. 6:30 pm.

Saturday, June 19th

• Juneteenth Festival on Tappan Square. 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

• Festival will include vendors, children's bike give-a-ways, mime and step dancing demonstrations, greens and cobbler cook-off contest, broom jumping, music by various local groups, rock-paper-scissors contest, jump rope demonstration, youth karoake contest, 3-on-3 basketball tournament for 3rd-5th graders, and Oberlin history trolley tours at 1 pm, 2 pm, and 3 pm.

• Juneteenth Parade. 12:00 pm.

• Juneteenth Concert with Latin Jazz band La Bamba. 5:00 pm.

For more information on Juneteenth, visit our website, email us at info@visitloraincounty.com, call us at (440) 984-5282, or find us on Facebook and Twitter. For more information on other festivals and events this summer in Lorain County, take a look at our Calendar of Events.