History aficionados will love this new tool created by the Department of Development and Tourism which details the 15 underground railroad sites found in Ohio.
The Ohio Historical Underground Railroad Trail can be found on the Ohio.gov website. The tool includes a list and map of the 15 underground railroad sites located in Ohio, including one in Sylvania and one in Sandusky.
The tool helps those interested in seeing the historic sites that assisted enslaved African Americans escape to their freedom in Canada.
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The Follett House Museum located in Sandusky is one home that served as a shelter for those seeking freedom. The museum, which is operated by Sandusky Library, is the former home of Oran and Eliza Follett, two abolitionists who were operators of the Underground Railroad that hid enslaved people as they made their way across Lake Erie into Canada.
The Lathrop House located in Sylvania, is another underground railroad site found in Ohio. The home was built in 1850 and was operated by abolitionists Lucian and Larissa Lathrop. The two hid freedom seekers in a hidden section of their kitchen.
Other sites include the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and the Harriet Beecher Stowe House located in Cincinnati, The Ross-Gowdy Museum located in Historic New Richmond, the John Parker House and John Rankin House located in Ripley, “The Crossing” Underground Railroad Mural located in Portsmouth, The Gammon House located in Springfield, the Hanby House located in Westerville, the Nelson T. Gant Homestead located in Zanesville, the Underground Railroad Museum located in Flushing, Haines House Underground Railroad Museum located in Alliance, The John Brown House located in Akron and the Hubbard House Underground Railroad Museum located in Ashtabula.
While people explore the homes in Ohio that served as underground railroad sites they can also listen to the Ohio Freedom Path Audio Guide. The app is available on both Apple and Google Play app stores.
For more information on the Ohio Historical Underground Railroad Trail, visit ohio.org/home/ugrrtrail/ohio-historical-underground-railroad-trail.
