The Rochester area and the local churches have a rich history and had played a significant role in the fight for freedom. To learn more about the history of the Underground Railroad you may want to take your family on a virtual tour or visit some of the stops by checking out the website: http://nysparks.com/historic-preservation/heritage-trails/underground-railroad/default.aspx for local information, directions and maps.
Onondaga Historical Association, Syracuse
Underground Railroad
Black history month is a perfect time to discuss race and equality for all people while visiting local museums and participating in area events. Here are some local places to visit on your journey:
- Palmyra is one local stop on the Underground Railroad Heritage Trail. Others include the Harriet Tubman House (harriethouse.org) in Auburn which houses a Visitors Center full of artifacts and interpretive signage about Tubman’s many accomplishments, along with offering a brief tour of Tubman’s Home for the Aged, a historical landmark. Right down the street is another stop, the Seward House (sewardhouse.org) where families can take a tour and discover both the similarities and the differences between the courageous former slave and the lifelong politician. Seward came late to abolitionism, but was ultimately committed to seeing an end to the practice of slavery, while keeping America one united nation. Though the Seward House Museum is closed during the month of February, special tours, specifically focusing on abolitionist history in the area, will be offered. Contact Reilly at 315-252-1283 to make a reservation.
- The LeRoy Historical Society (www.leroyhistoricalsociety.org) takes a different approach to learning more about the Underground Railroad history – a self-guided driving tour. For a small fee families can pick up a map at the Historical Society that includes numerous stops on a sixteen mile trail tracing the history of abolitionism in that part of the state.
- Syracuse also has a stop on the Heritage Trail – the Onondaga Historical Association (www.cnyhistory.org). The Support Services Administrator, says they have two ways for families to learn more about how the Underground Railroad operated in the Syracuse area. There’s an ongoing, permanent exhibit, “Freedom Bound: Syracuse and the Underground Railroad”.
Take your family on a virtual tour of some of the stops on the Underground Railroad…follow the links and celebrate the rich history — Freedom Bound!
- Harriet Tubman Home — Auburn
- St. James AME Zion Church–Ithaca
- Gerrit Smith Estate and Land Office–Peterboro
- John Brown Farm and Gravesite–Lake Placid
- Foster Memorial AME Zion Church–Tarrytown
- Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims–Brooklyn
- Asa and Caroline Wing House–Oswego
- Edwin W. and Charlotte Clarke House–Oswego
- John P. and Lydia Edwards House–Oswego
- Orson Ames House–Oswego
- Starr Clock Tinshop–Mexico
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