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‘A Little Interesting Ohio History Agent St. Toledo, O.—When the so-called “un derground railroad was in full opera tion there were more than 20 routes through Ohio along which slaves flee ing to Canada might be forwarded by sympathizers, from the Ohio river to the northern frontier of the United States. Every port on Lake Erie, from Conneaut to Toledo, was a point of embarkation, during the season of navigation. More than once, fugitives crossed the western end of the lake on the ice in midwinter. Few of the runaways were ever cap tured. They always moved north by night and nearly always were guided by men perfectly familiar with the roads and the whole neighborhood. They were sheltered in barns, attics, corn cribs, even in caves, sometimes, and guarded against surprise by sym pathizers who were exceedingly watchful. The “stations” on the routes across Ohio were in communi ties which were strongly anti-slavery, and officers pursuing fugitives were obstructed in many ways. They ac complished little, as a rule. The journey across Ohio averaged only about 200 miles, from the river to the lake. The points along the Ohio at which slaves were started to ward freedom numbered 22 or 23 and from some crossing places there were alternative routes. The “underground” roads began op erations in Ohio as far back as 1815 or 1817. They did not go out of use till the civil war. It is not known how many fugitive slaves traveled by them to freedom. It is certain that there were many thousands.
Newspaper Details
Cleveland Gazette
Cleveland, Ohio, US
Sat, Jan 20, 1906
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Susan G.
USA 06 Feb 2026
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