MORE HISTORY

The Underground Railroad was neither underground or a train. It was a route composed of various types of hiding places such as homes, businesses, and churches, known as "Stations" or "Safe Houses" starting in the South and ending as far as St. Catherine's in Canada. Most travel was done at night and stations were approximately 20 miles apart. Hiding places between stations could be a corn field, the woods or any place where the run-a-ways could hide during the day if they didn't make it to the next safe house. Transportation could be in a wagon, a boat, by horseback; but mostly by foot.

"Stationmasters" on the Underground Railroad provided food, rest, protection and direction. Some worked with "conductors" who helped move freedom seekers out of harm's way and on to the next location. There were few on the Underground Railroad who knew all the safe houses along  the whole route. Harriet Tubman was probably the only one. Stationmasters and conductors knew only the one before and after their site. Caleb Emmart worked with conductor, Nicholas Smith, his brother- in- law. Smith made barrels and used them to hide run-a-ways while transporting them to the next station. Smith married Caleb's wife's sister and the four of them worked diligently for the freedom of the enslaved. The two sisters, Elizabeth and Susanna Zimmerman, raised money to buy the freedom of Worthington Slaves. Rezin Worthington and the Stitchcombs were large slave holders in the area and we believe many of our freedom seekers came from their farms.