Four

ROUTES AND STATIONS

ALLEN TEMPLE. As one of the oldest African American churches in Cincinnati, Allen Temple African Methodist Episcopal Bethel dates to 1808, when it was initially organized as Mill Creek Church. Because of its continuous connection to the wellbeing of fugitive African Americans, the church was burned down several times between 1812 and 1815. Nevertheless, Allen Temple continued to assist runaways until the end of the Civil War. (Courtesy of the Cincinnati Historical Society.)

REVEREND KING’S HOUSE. The African Methodist Episcopal denomination was founded in 1787 by Richard Allen in Philadelphia. During the early 19th century, some African American Cincinnatians worshiped at the white Methodist Episcopal churches but were discriminated against with much vigor and contempt. After a brief meeting, Rev. James King and Rev. Phillip Brodie decided they could no longer tolerate the prejudicial treatment they had received and founded a new and separate church in 1824. (Courtesy of the Cincinnati Historical Society.)

CHURCH LOCATIONS. Because of the church’s continuous growth and the increase in vandalism at Allen Temple, the congregation was forced to seek another location. In 1870, the congregation bought the former Bene Israel Synagogue at 538 Broadway Street, a larger and more secure facility with barred windows and an iron fence. After satisfying their debts, the congregation refocused and began to work for social welfare, stability, and the uplifting of the local African American community. (Courtesy of the Cincinnati Historical Society.)

CALVARY METHODIST CHURCH. In the tradition of numerous African American churches during the antebellum period, the Calvary Methodist Church of Cincinnati not only helped local African Americans with their spiritual needs and wants, but was also part of the black community that provided economic and social opportunities for thousands of black Americans. Several members of Calvary Methodist were involved in assisting numerous individuals gain their freedom via the Underground Railroad. (Courtesy of the Cincinnati Historical Society.)

CALVARY METHODIST INTERIOR. The importance of Calvary Methodist Church continued until after the Civil War ended in 1865. During the post–Civil War years, it was discovered that the church contained numerous secret halls and rooms where individuals could hide. (Courtesy of the Ohio Historical Society.)

UNITARIAN CHURCH. Looking West from Vine Street along Fourth Street in the mid-1850s, this image shows one of the original locations of the First Unitarian Church of Cincinnati. First Unitarian Church is a historic congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Founded in the early 19th century, it survived a series of divisions and reunifications, particularly over the topic of slavery. (Courtesy of the Cincinnati Historical Society.)

UNION BAPTIST CHURCH. Established on July 21, 1831, Union Baptist Church, the second oldest African American church in the state of Ohio, was founded to foster religious freedom for local African Americans. With the system of enslavement weighing heavily on many of the members of the congregation, the church started monthly prayer meetings in 1839 to pray for the end of this terrible institution. (Courtesy of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.)

UNION BAPTIST CHURCH 1855 RECORDS. During its early years, Union Baptist Church was involved in numerous other projects such as missionary trips to other parts of Ohio and to Africa. Since its inception, Union Baptist Church has also been known for its vocal opposition to slavery. This position was tested when an African American fugitive appeared at the door of Union Baptist requesting that the leaders of the church buy him out of enslavement. During the antebellum years, Union Baptist set up a fund to help African American runaways. (Both, courtesy of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.)

WESLEY CHAPEL CHURCH. Built in 1831 on the north side of Fifth Street between Broadway and Sycamore Streets, Wesley Chapel Church was a Methodist congregation. It was a simple red brick Georgian structure copied after John Wesley’s original Methodist church in London. With a seating capacity of 1,200, during the antebellum period Wesley Chapel was the largest indoor meeting facility west of the Alleghenies and the largest building in Cincinnati for many years. In 1841, the funeral of Pres. William Henry Harrison was held there. In 1845, former president John Quincy Adams spoke at the facility in honor of the newly constructed Cincinnati Observatory, which was located in the Mount Adams part of the city. Both before and during the Civil War, several antislavery political meetings and rallies were held at Wesley Chapel because of its central location. Some of the church members in later years became actively involved in Underground Railroad activities. In 1972, the church was demolished and a new church built at 80 East McMicken Avenue. (Courtesy of the Cincinnati Historical Society.)

ZION BAPTIST CHURCH. Zion Baptist Church was organized in 1842 by Father Wallace Shelton along with several members of the Union Baptist Church of Cincinnati. The congregation was initially located on Plum Street. From this location, many members of the church actively participated in Underground Railroad activities. (Courtesy of the Cincinnati Historical Society.)

LITTLE AFRICA. During the antebellum period, one of main areas in which black Cincinnatians migrated to organize themselves was Little Africa. The areas were not “ghettoes,” but instead were very livable residential communities. This region was located on Fourth Street, which at the time was along the waterfront. Pictured here is an 1850 ward map that highlights this African American community. (Courtesy of the Cincinnati Historical Society.)

BUCKTOWN. During the 1830s and 1840s, another significant group of African Americans lived in the first ward, between Main and Broadway Streets just south of Sixth Street in an area known as Bucktown. This region contained not only thousands of African Americans, but also a number of black-owned businesses and churches. Several illegal and underground industries also operated in Bucktown. (Courtesy of the Cincinnati Historical Society.)

SKETCH OF BUCKTOWN. The importance of Bucktown for black Cincinnatians has received little attention from most historians. Its location on the riverfront made it a primary location for many fugitives. However, several hundred free blacks also lived in this same neighborhood. Both groups helped to create a vibrant and powerful community. (Courtesy of the Cincinnati Historical Society.)

UNDERGROUND RAILROAD STATION IN BUCKTOWN. Not only was Bucktown one of the two major black communities in Cincinnati during the antebellum period, the neighborhood was also known as an important destination for runaways as it had various churches and homes that were key stops on the Underground Railroad. (Courtesy of the Ohio Historical Society.)

UNDERGROUND RAILROAD STATION. An examination of the history of African Americans in Cincinnati proves that the Underground Railroad was not built on the backs of individuals but on the shoulders of communities. Indeed, the Underground Railroad in Cincinnati was characterized by a community-wide network and various patterns of cooperation that aimed to assist runaway African Americans. Pictured here is one example of a facility that was linked to the Underground Railroad in the city. (Courtesy of the Ohio Historical Society.)

THE DUMAS HOUSE. The Dumas House was a black-owned boarding home located in downtown Cincinnati that doubled as a way station for fugitive slaves. The Dumas House was a popular lodging place for African American visitors to the city, enslaved or free. While it is difficult to determine whether the owners actively or passively harbored these fugitives, the Dumas House was a prominent station on the Underground Railroad. (Courtesy of the Cincinnati Historical Society.)

CANALS. Fugitives could not escape from Kentucky without crossing the Ohio River. Because no bridges were built until after the Civil War, the river could only be crossed by boats, on foot if the river was frozen, or by swimming. There also were several local canals and streams that fed into the Ohio River. Many used their positions as laborers on these waterways to abscond. Indeed, a nearby waterway granted a fugitive a great ready-made escape route, at least initially. Hundreds of enslaved persons used canals and streams to initiate or continue their movement to the North to freedom. (Both, courtesy of the Cincinnati Historical Society.)

JOHN RANDOLPH. The first major African-American migration came to the Miami Valley and Piqua, Ohio, region around 1847, when the manumitted slaves of John Randolph settled in the counties of Miami and Shelby, in Rossville, Ohio, just across the Great Miami River. Initially, Randolph (a distant cousin of Thomas Jefferson) had been one of the largest owners of enslaved African Americans in Virginia. Upon his death, however, he requested in his will that all of his slaves be freed. However, his brother contested the will. As a result, it was not until 13 years later, in 1847, that Randolph’s enslaved African Americans were set free. Soon after obtaining their freedom, most of Randolph’s freedmen formed a “wagon train” and headed to Cincinnati. Once there, they traveled farther north to Piqua, where the atmosphere of racial oppression was apparently less than what they found in Cincinnati. (Courtesy of the Ohio Historical Society.)

COLLEGE HILL. College Hill, Ohio, was settled in 1813. Today, it is one of the most vibrant of Cincinnati’s 52 neighborhoods. It is located a few miles north of downtown within the 3.4 square miles on the northern edge of the city. The neighborhood is home to a diverse mix of families and singles, young and old. During the antebellum period, this region became a major stop on the Underground Railroad. (Courtesy of the Cincinnati Historical Society.)

THE ZEBULON STRONG HOME. Located on Hamilton Avenue, this residence was the private home of Zebulon Strong, an abolitionist who was part of the local and regional antislavery movement. This facility was one of two residences Strong used to harbor fugitive African Americans. Runaways would come up the east ravine near a railroad line, and hide in the nearby forest until dark, then continue their journey north. While the fugitives were hiding, the Strong children would play in the area and leave food and drink without any witnesses. On some occasions, Strong used his own wagon to help African Americans who had absconded. (Courtesy of Richard Cooper.)

BEHIND THE ZEBULON STRONG HOME. Behind the Strongs’ home were wooded areas rarely used by locals. During the antebellum years, a very important secret route was discovered by some old farmers. Initially, they rarely spoke about seeing fugitives running through or sleeping in the area. However, the situation changed when the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was passed and the recapture of runaways became more lucrative. Shown here is a wooded pathway and waterway in that many enslaved African Americans traveled along and through on their way north. (Both, courtesy of Richard Cooper.)

SAMUEL AND SALLY HOUSE. In 1847, Samuel and Sally Wilson, a very active and important married abolitionist team, bought several acres of land and a small cabin from Freeman Cary, who resided in College Hill. Their daughter, Mary Jane, was one of the first teachers at the Ohio Female College; their two sons attended Cary Academy. All the members of the Wilson family were involved in the origin and development of the Underground Railroad in the area. Indeed, the house in which Samuel and Sally resided was used a safe house for at least four years for the hundreds of fugitive African Americans who had escaped the South and traveled to Cincinnati or parts north looking for freedom. (Courtesy of the Cincinnati Historical Society.)

GLENDALE. Incorporated in 1855, Glendale, Ohio, is a northern suburb of Cincinnati with a land area of 1.7 square miles and a population of 2,155. This village 12 miles north of Cincinnati once was a series of fine farms, amounting to 565 acres. It is located on the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad. During the antebellum period, Glendale played a very prominent and important role in the origin and development of the Underground Railroad in Cincinnati and the Midwest at large. John W. Van Zandt and his church were located in Glendale. It also is well known that many enslaved people were hidden throughout the Glendale/Sharonville area. (Courtesy of the Cincinnati Historical Society.)

JOHN VAN ZANDT. This Hamilton Country, Ohio, farmer was a former slave owner who had a vivid dream one night and decided to free his slaves. He moved to Ohio and became an ordained minister at a church in Glendale. (Courtesy of the Clifton Waller Barrett Library of American Literature, Special Collections, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville.)

VAN ZANDT GRAVE SITE. While living in Evendale, Ohio, just north of Cincinnati, Van Zandt regularly harbored fugitives in the basement of his house and helped them escape to Canada. During the 1840s, he was caught while involved in these activities. He was excommunicated from the Methodist Episcopal Church, which had already joined the southern portion of the national congregations. (Courtesy of Richard Cooper.)