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South West Region
The South West region consists of Brown, Butler, Clermont,
Clinton, Fayette, Hamilton and Warren counties.
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- Springboro was platted in 1815 by Jonathan Wright. The township area was settled
sparsely as early as 1796, mere months after the signing of the Treaty of Greenville.
The Quaker influence in the area, and geography (the Springboro area is located
between the Miami Rivers, 38 miles north of the Ohio River) contributed to its heavy
Underground Railroad involvement. One historian referred to Springboro as being on
the "busiest trail" in Ohio.
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In commemoration of their extraordinary history, the City of Springboro erected the very first Ohio Underground Railroad Historic Marker. The dedication was
held on October 17, 1999 as part of the 4th Annual Ohio Underground
Railroad Summit. |
A predominantly Quaker community in its early days, Springboro served as a
hospitable thoroughfare for many runaway slaves on their way north to freedom.
Between 1815 and 1864, Springboro was host to numerous safe-houses and many agents and
conductors operating with the village and the surrounding township. Two factors
contributed to Springboro's role as a pathway to the Underground Railroad. One was
the antislavery sympathies of its residents. Secondly, situation between the Great
and Little Miami Rivers and just two nights run north of the Ohio River, Springboro was in
the middle of two corridors of flight. Enriching the antislavery sentiments of the
local community was Achilles Pugh, who for years published a famous national abolitionist
paper, "The Philanthropist." In Springboro, despite constant scrutiny and
harassment from bounty hunts and law officers, no runaways were ever captured or returned
while under the protection of the Springboro area. |
- A wonderful Underground Railroad re-enactment for schools and other groups is part of
the program at the Camp Joy Outdoor Recreation Center, PO Box 157, Clarksville, Ohio
45113.
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- A guiding philosophy throughout the state has been to promote the Underground Railroad
story through interaction with schoolchildren. To that end, Springboro teachers Mary
Lou Bartimay and Rosalie Yoakam co-authored an extensive Underground railroad curriculum
for third and fourth graders, and obtained grant monies to institute the program in 1998.
Their program, which was presented to the Fourth Annual
Underground Railroad Summit, includes field trips, reading assignments, music, role
playing, research, and guest speakers. They can be reached at the Clearcreek
Elementary School, South Main Street, Springboro, Ohio 45066.
- The documentary, A Trail of Hope, which depicts the role of the Springboro area
on the Underground Railroad, has been completed. The video is narrated by Ohio
Underground Railroad Association President, Cathy Nelson, and features an appearance by US
Secretary of Transportation, Rodney Slater.
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- The production, which was completed in 1999, was financed by the City of Springboro; technical expertise was
provided by the Miami Valley Cable Council. The film is slated to appear on regional
cable television. Copies can be purchased for $10 at the Springboro Municipal
Building, the Springboro Historical Museum, the Brass Pig, and the Family Tree Old-time
Music Store. All are located in Springboro, Ohio.
- Two of the most notable Underground Railroad sites in Ohio are in Ripley. The John
Rankin House, located on Liberty Hill, is a state memorial and is open to the public.
The John P. Parker House, home of the famous Black conductor, is currently being
renovated, and will soon be open. Also in Ripley are the historic Red Oak
Presbyterian Church and the North Star Station, both Underground Railroad depots.
For further information, contact the John P. Parker Historical Society, PO Box 246,
Ripley, Ohio 45167.
- The first free school for blacks in the Northwest Territory is located in Harveysburg,
and is maintained by the Harveysburg Community Historical Society. The structure was
built in 1831. It is open for tours, by appointment (513-897-6195).
- Less than a mile from Harveysburg's Free Black School was the Bullskin Trace. This
old Indian Trail, one of many in southwestern Ohio, went from the Ohio River to Fort
Detroit. It served for many years as an Underground Railroad route.
- In his book, The Underground Railroad: From Slavery to Freedom, historian
Wilbur Siebert lists the number of agents and
conductors from the southwestern Ohio region as follows:
| 28 |
Warren |
| 54 |
Hamilton |
| 7 |
Butler |
| 69 |
Brown |
| 36 |
Clermont |
| 31 |
Clinton |
| 26 |
Fayette |
Researchers believe that the identified conductor lists are accurate,
but incomplete. For example, sixteen Springboro men -- thirteen of whom were
not on Siebert's Warren County list -- were arrested and convicted of helping slaves
escape in 1840. Several more have been identified through research. Springboro
probably had over 40 conductors and agents in its immediate area alone yet Siebert lists
only 28 for the entire county.
- Another interesting notes on conductor identification: Siebert and other
historians record participants as overwhelmingly male. Surely their wives knew, and
helped, and probably any adult children. Counting other family members, when that is
appropriate and verified, would certainly increase the count of those involved.
- John Zimkus of Lebanon is pursuing information which alludes to the Golden Lamb Inn as
an Underground Railroad depot. If confirmed, that would be a noteworthy discovery.
The Golden Lamb is Ohio's oldest inn.
Special thanks are due to the volunteers throughout the South West region:
| Warren County |
| John Zimkus |
350 Summit Street, Lebanon 45036 |
| Darlene Schondel |
Waynesville |
| Sharon Jones |
Waynesville |
| Lucy McCarren |
Harveysburg |
| Dorothy McCarren |
Oregonia |
| Kenneth Wilson |
Dayton |
|
| Hamilton County |
| Jeanne Mays |
1585 Wittekind Terrance, Cincinnati 45224 |
|
| Brown & Butler Counties |
| Jill Dunlap |
1249 Eifel Cove, Fayetteville 45118 |
|
| Clinton & Clermont Counties |
Seeking County Coordinators. Contact Don Ross if interested. |
| Southwest Region Newsletter - "Enlightenment" |
| Jill Dunlap |
1249 Eifel Cove, Fayetteville 45118 |
|
| Textile Expert for Region |
| Jan Thomas |
2578 Pinebrook Lane, Springboro 45066 |
|
| Education Consultants for Region |
| Mary Lou Bartimay |
Clearcreek Elementary School, South Main Street, Springboro 45066 |
| Rosalie Yoakam |
Clearcreek Elementary School, South Main Street, Springboro 45066 |
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Listed are those historical societies and associations which deal with complete area history. Space
limitations did not permit the listings of specialty museums, preservation groups and
genealogical organizations.
| Brown County Historical Society |
PO Box 238, Georgetown, Ohio 45121 |
| Butler County Historical Society |
6374 Liberty-Fairfield Road, Hamilton, Ohio 45011 |
| Fairfield Historical Society |
2198 Rolling Hills, Fairfield, Ohio 45014 |
| Middletown Historical Society |
PO Box 312, Middletown, Ohio 45042 |
| Monroe Historical Society |
830 Douglas, Monroe, Ohio 45050 |
| Seven Mile Historical Society |
PO Box 276, Seven Mile, Ohio 45062 |
| Smith Library of Regional History |
15 S. College Ave., Oxford, OH 45056
513-523-3035 |
| Trenton Historical Society |
17 East State, Trenton, Ohio 45067 |
| Bethel Historical Association |
562 S. Charity, Bethel, Ohio 45106 |
| Clermont County Historical Society |
PO Box 14, Batavia, Ohio 45103 |
| Little Miami-East Fork River Historical Society |
6641 Linton Road, Goshen, Ohio 45122 |
| Milford Historical Society |
906 Main Street, Milford, Ohio 45150 |
| Blanchester Area Historical Society |
313 Bland Ave., Blanchester, Ohio 45107 |
| Clinton County Historical Society |
149 East Locust, Wilmington, Ohio 45177 |
| Fayette County Historical Society |
PO Box 342, Washington Court House, Ohio 43160 |
| Anderson Township Historical Society |
Box 30174 Cincinnati, Ohio 45230 |
| Cincinnati Historical Society |
1301 Western Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45203 |
| Colerain Historical Society |
PO Box 39726 Cincinnati, Ohio 45239 |
| College Hill Historical Society |
PO Box 24088, Cincinnati, Ohio 45224 |
| Columbia-Tusculum Historical Society |
53 Burton Woods Lane, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229 |
| Delhi Historical Society |
468 Anderson Ferry Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45238 |
| Greater Loveland Historical Society |
201 Riverside Drive, Loveland, Ohio 45140 |
| Green Township Historical Society |
3973 Grace Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45211 |
| Blue Ash Historical Society |
7 Trailbridge Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45241 |
| Historic New Richmond, Inc. |
4321 Simpson, Cincinnati, Ohio 45227 |
| Indian Hill Historical Society |
8100 Given Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45243 |
| Lockland Historical Society |
301 N. Cooper Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45215 |
| Madeira Historical Society |
7209 Tyler Ave., Madeira, Ohio 45243 |
| Montgomery Historical Society |
7650 Cooper Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45242 |
| Mount Healthy Historical Society |
1544 McMakin, Cincinnati, Ohio 45231 |
| Price Hill Historical Society |
4434 Glenway Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45208 |
| Society of Historical Sharonville |
10800 Reading Road, Sharonville, Ohio 45241 |
| St. Bernard/Ludlow Grove Historical Society |
110 Washington Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45217 |
| Three Rivers Historical Society |
2655 Cliff Road, North Bend, Ohio 45052 |
| Village Historical Society of Harrison |
6580 Kilby Road, Harrison, Ohio 45030 |
| Wyoming Historical Society |
325 Reily Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45215 |
| Carlisle Historical Society |
662 Central Avenue, Carlisle, Ohio 45005 |
| Franklin Area Historical Society |
302 Park Avenue, Franklin, Ohio 45005 |
| Harveysburg Historical Society |
PO Box 105 Harveysburg, Ohio 45032 |
| Mason Historical Society |
PO Box 82, Mason, Ohio 45040 |
| Springboro Area Historical Society |
110 South Main, Springboro, Ohio 45066 |
| Warren County Historical Society |
PO Box 223, Lebanon, Ohio 45036 |
| Waynesville Historical Society |
5323 Wilkerson Lane, Waynesville, Ohio 45068 |
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