The Freedom Seekers
A Publication of the Friends of Freedom Society, Inc.
Volume 5 Issue 1
March/April 2004
Note: Our 9th annual summit, Station Hope: The Final
Terminus will be held in Independence on October15-17, 2004. Please
join us!
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
We've passed another February, a month appropriately hectic with Black
history as the centric activity. Most of you undoubtedly participated in events
and remembrances. There was a notable program in early February at Greenlawn
Cemetery in Columbus organized by FOFS member Chuck Miller. The goals were to
memorialize, to educate, and to feature the incredible history- of all types- at
Greenlawn. It was not an FOFS event, but members Leslie Blankenship, Joan Neel,
Mary Austin Palmer, and Terry Davis all participated with various presentations.
I too was honored to speak. There was a nice audience despite some shaky
weather. Large numbers of abolitionists, conductors, and former slaves are
buried in the cemetery, the second largest in Ohio. Thanks to Cathy, Leslie, and
now Chuck, the Columbus area's wealth of UGRR knowledge is expanding rapidly;
some of the current emphasis is on using information from Greenlawn to chase
down new research possibilities. I use the area as an example of the truth
inherent in a comment once made by our former president. In announcing the fact
that we were nearing our 1,000th verified UGRR site, Cathy mentioned that
"this is still just the tip of the iceberg." Those of us who love the
subject cannot get complacent. There are still facts to be uncovered, heroes to
be revealed, stories to be shared.
************
A note from Reita Smith indicates that Dr. Carter Woodson, a central figure
in the effort to establish a Black History Month (which actually began as a
week), is the inspiration for the revival of the Columbus Chapter of the
Association for the Study of African-American Life and History (ASALH). The
group will re-form on March 27 at 2pm at the Martin Luther King Library, on Long
Street in Columbus. The meeting is open to the public.
************
Our next general meeting will be in Springfield, in the West Region, on April
17 at 1:00 pm. Art Thomas is working on details; some are elsewhere in this
newsletter. If questions, contact Art at athomas9@woh.rr.com. There has been
delightful and imaginative e-mail banter between Sharon Montgomery, Connie
Quarles, and Marla Jones as they brainstorm ideas for a Society fund-raiser.
Ideas for raising money will be an agenda item at the April meeting. We will
welcome your ideas.
Don
(Ed. Note: Directions to the Heritage Center are below.)
Still's UGRR book now online
According to Barbara Tagger, Southeast Regional Coordinator of the National
Park Service's National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program, William
Still's seminal work, The Underground Railroad (1872) is now available
online. The digitized version of this classic study has been made available
through the Arnold Bernhard Library.
To access this important historical work, go to the website
http://www.quinnipiac.edu/other/ABL/etext/ugrr/ugrrmain.html
THE REGIONAL NEWS & VIEWS
Ed. note: This section of the newsletter is filled with information received
in time for publication. Deadline dates are given many weeks in advance in a
general mass e-mailing. If you feel your area news is being ignored it is
because I am not getting anything to publish!
To be included in the mass e-mailing for newsletter deadlines, send your
e-mail address to: ugrrohio@yahoo.com. You do not have to be a Regional
Coordinator to submit items for publication!
East Region - Carey Steele, Coordinator
Haines House to
receive Save America's Treasures grant - by Robb Hyde
The Alliance Area Preservation Society will receive a Save America's
Treasures grant in the amount of $56,000 from the National Park Service. The
one-to-one matching grant will allow the organization to complete major portions
of the renovation work required on the Haines House, the Alliance, Ohio home of
Abolitionists John Grant, Ridgeway Haines and Sarah Grant Haines.
Work to be completed includes reappointing of the brick exterior of the home,
installation of handicapped accessible ramp and construction of a handicapped
restroom. The organization recognizes the invaluable help provided by
Congressman Ralph Regula of Ohio's 16th District in securing these renovation
funds.
North East Region - Debbie Laveck, Coordinator
The red-winged blackbirds have returned - always my personal sign of spring!
The change of seasons and other natural events (tornados, hurricanes,
earthquakes, etc.) often cause me to wonder about the many aspects of nature and
how they would have affected or influenced fugitive slaves. For example, the
Drinking Gourd is just now visible in the southern sky, aiding in the flight
northward. From December 16 through February 7 of 1812, a series of four (and
possibly five) earthquakes rocked the Mississippi Valley, causing log cabins to
collapse as far north as Cincinnati and church bells to ring in Boston.
Climitologists speculate that Mount Tambora eruption of 1815 caused "the
year there was no summer" in the world in 1816. How did slaves, especially
those fleeing, view these events? How were they affected directly or indirectly?
What do you think? Has any of your research found any references to these or
other natural occurrences?
The Pearl Road site in Parma Heights still needs more evidence of its
connection to the UGRR. It is currently a vacant building waiting to be sold -
or worse - be leveled. It was used until fairly recently and has been added on
to in the rear. The realtor told me it is going for "dirt value" as
the owner wants to sell it to settle an estate. If any reader has any
information regarding the property, it would be greatly appreciated.
The Parmley mansion - currently known as the Roosevelt Riding Stables - in
Lake County, is in need of documentation, as well. Like a great deal of UGRR
information, it is oral tradition that tells the tale. To date, my contacts have
been unable to locate enough solid material to substantiate this site.
Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland has been presenting an
Underground Railroad lecture series, running through May. I will be giving a
slide program and lecture on April 14 and on May 19 the program will be
presented by Dr. Jackie Rowser, Kent State University Department of Pan African
Studies.
Directions to the April 17 FOFS meeting...
These directions are from their website at: www.heritagecenter.us/directions.cfm.
The Heritage Center of Clark County is located on Fountain Square in the
heart of downtown Springfield. There are signs from every direction pointing you
the route to this new facility.
From Dayton and the WEST:
Follow Interstate 70 to Exit 47 (U.S. Route 4). Head five miles to the East and
Springfield where U.S. 4 becomes Columbia Street. Travel East on Columbia to
Fountain Avenue and turn Right. The Heritage Center is two and a half blocks
South on Fountain Avenue.
From Columbus and the EAST:
Follow Interstate 70 to Exit 62, (U.S. Route 40, the Old National Road). Head
East for five miles to Springfield where U.S. 40 becomes North Street. Travel
East on North Street to Fountain Avenue and turn Left.
From the SOUTH:
Exit 54 "Limestone Street" on Interstate 70 can also be used. Follow
Limestone St. North into downtown Springfield. You will cross a bridge and
notice the towers of the Heritage Center to your Left. Once over the bridge, go
to the second traffic light (Main Street) and turn Left. Follow Main two blocks
to Fountain Ave. and turn Left again.
Membership Committee News...
The membership committee has a dual mission of recruiting new members and
retaining current members. For retention, we planned a social event in December
where members could come and enjoy each other's company and get better
acquainted. We thought this would help people feel more a part of the group and
thus more interested in active participation. We had a lovely setting at the
Little Turtle Country Club, tasty hors d'oevres, an enjoyable gift exchange, and
an entertaining ice breaker game.
We also sent renewal notices with letters highlighting the previous year's
accomplishments and encouraging members to attend the January meeting with
project ideas and goals for the coming year. The committee felt meeting
attendance might be improved with more advance notice of dates and with meetings
in various locations around the state. Dates and places were set at the annual
meeting and included in the renewal letters.
To recruit new members, we had membership forms and new member packets at the
Summit registration table. The result was about 20 new members-the highest
number for any Summit so far.
We also "piggyback" on events that draw people likely to be
interested in our period of history and/or our mission. We have taken displays
and FOFS literature to the Oberlin Juneteenth celebration, the Thurber House
Literary Picnic with Ann Hagedorn when she read from her new book Beyond the
River, the historical marker dedication at Alexander Livingston's house, and
the Phoenix Theater's production for children of Follow the Drinking Gourd.
We have received a number of suggestions for types of membership and will
discuss those at our March meeting. We plan to have recommendations for
discussion at the April 17 general meeting in Springfield. We also want to
explore ways to get more members around the state to do the
"piggyback" events.
Sharon
Welcome, new members!
On behalf of the Friends of Freedom Society/Ohio Underground Railroad
Association, Inc., the membership committee wishes to welcome all of our new
members to our organization. You will be receiving notices of quarterly meetings
and events from our Secretary, Sylvia Moore of Cleveland, Ohio. If you are
interested in serving on the membership committee please contact Shirley Wilson,
or a member of the membership committee. If you are interested in doing research
, please contact Cathy Nelson, State coordinator, Ohio Underground Railroad
Association (OURA).
OHIO UNDERGROUND RAILROAD ASSOCIATION
REGIONAL COORDINATORS
BECOME AN FOFS MEMBER TODAY!
Interested in becoming a FOFS member? We're always looking for conductors!
Membership dues are $35.00, beginning on a calendar year from January to
December. We are a tax exempt charitable organization, under 501(c) (3) of the
Internal Revenue Code.
We generally meet on the fourth Saturday of the month from 2pm - 5pm, unless
otherwise indicated. No meetings are held in July and August. However, due to a
busy weekend schedule, September's meeting will need to be changed. You will be
notified of the meeting date.
For more information on the Friends of Freedom Society Inc., or its research
arm, the Ohio Underground Railroad Association, please visit us at: www.ohioundergroundrailroad.org
(click here for membership form)
or write to us at:
Friends of Freedom Society - Ohio Underground
Railroad Association
586 East Town Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
We depend on you!
Have something to share with other members of FOFS? Send your news items to ugrrohio@yahoo.com
or by USPS to
Editor, Freedom Seekers Newsletter
6134 Lucas Avenue
Ashtabula, Ohio 44004-6318
"To my old master..."
A letter from a former slave
Ed. note: It would seem that Mr. Jourdon Anderson was quite the wordsmith.
This was received by e-mail from John Ogden by way of LaVerne Sci. According to
Ms. Sci,this letter is in Mr. Jourdon Anderson's own words.
SOURCE: Book (Title unknown), Part Six: Aftermath - Chapter 44
A Good War Dies Hard
Dayton, Ohio, August 7, 1865
To my old Master, COLONEL P. H. Anderson, Big Spring, Tenn.
SIR: I got your letter, and was glad to find that you had not forgotten
Jourdon, and that you wanted me to come back and live with you again, promising
to do better for me than anybody else can. I have often felt uneasy about you. I
thought the Yankees would have hung you long before this, for harboring Rebs
they found at your house. I suppose they never heard about your going to Colonel
Martin's to kill the Union soldier that was left by his company in their stable.
Although you shot at me twice before I left you, I did not want to hear of your
being hurt, and am glad you are still living. It would do me good to go back to
the dear old home again, and see Miss Mary and Miss Martha and Allen, Esther,
Green, and Lee. Give my love to them all, and tell them I hope we will meet in
the better world, if not in this. I would have gone back to see you all when I
was working in the Nashville Hospital, but one of the neighbors told me that
Henry intended to shoot me if he ever got a chance.
I want to know particularly what the good chance is you propose to give me. I
am doing tolerably well here. I get twenty-five dollars a month, with victuals
and clothing; have a comfortable home for Mandy -the folks call her Mrs.
Anderson-and the children-Milly. Jane, and Grundy-go to school and are learning
well. The teacher says Grundy has a head for a preacher. They go to Sunday
school, and Mandy and me attend church regularly. We are kindly treated.
Sometimes we overhear others saying, "Them colored people were slaves"
down in Tennessee. The children feel hurt when they hear such remarks; but I
tell them it was no disgrace in Tennessee to belong to Colonel Anderson. Many
darkeys would have been proud, as I used to be, to call you master. Now if you
will write and say what wages you will give me, I will be better able to decide
whether it would be to my advantage to move back again.
As to my freedom, which you say I can have, there is nothing to be gained on
that score, as I got my free papers in 1864 from the Provost-Marshal-General of
the Department of Nashville. Mandy says she would be afraid to go back without
some proof that you were disposed to treat us justly and kindly; and we have
concluded to test your sincerity by asking you to send us our wages for the time
we served you. This will make us forget and forgive old scores, and rely on your
justice and friendship in the future. I served you faithfully for thirty-two
years, and Mandy twenty years. At twenty-five dollars a month for me, and two
dollars a week for Mandy, our earnings would amount to eleven thousand six
hundred and eighty dollars. Add to this the interest for the time our wages have
been kept back, and deduct what you paid for our clothing, and three doctor's
visits to me, and pulling a tooth for Mandy, and the balance will show what we
are in justice entitled to. Please send the money by Adams' Express, in care of
V. Winters, Esq., Dayton, Ohio. If you fail to pay us for faithful labors in the
past, we can have little faith in your promises in the future. We trust the good
Maker has opened your eyes to the wrongs which you and your fathers have done to
me and my fathers, in making us toil for you for generations without recompense.
Here I draw my wages every Saturday night; but in Tennessee there was never any
pay-day for the Negroes any more than for the horses and cows. Surely there will
be a day of reckoning for those who defraud the laborer of his hire.
In answering this letter, please state if there would be any safety for my
Milly and Jane, who are now grown-up, and both good-looking girls. You know how
it was with poor Matilda and Catherine. I would rather stay here and starve-and
die, if it come to that-than have my girls brought to shame by the violence and
wickedness of their young masters. You will also please state if there has been
any schools opened for the colored children in your neighborhood. The great
desire of my life now is to give my children an education, and have them form
virtuous habits.
Say howdy to George Carter, and thank him for taking the pistol from you when
you were shooting at me.
From your old servant,
-JOURDON ANDERSON
NOTE: Jourdon Anderson is resting at the Woodland Cemetery, Dayton, Ohio.
Apparently his old Master never accepted his offer. -LaVerne Sci
