A retired college librarian spoke on the facts, fallacies, flights, and fights of the “Underground Railroad” at the Ross County Heritage Center Saturday evening.
In her chat with me afterward, Kathy Schulz said the topic is a popular historical subject, but there are many misconceptions about the secrecy and heroism of the effort to help move escaped slaves out of the South.
She said she was frustrated with the folklore and misinformation about the UGRR, but also realized that people need to know how important Ohio was in the secretive civil disobedience, and how how worked.
In her book published by the History Press, Schulz wrote about real happenings and heroes, many of whom were African-Americans.
She also pointed out that at least half of the Underground Railroad came through Ohio, but most of the escapees originated only in the northern edge of the slave south – like only the northern half of Kentucky. She said it was difficult for them to get out of the deeper South…and difficult to even know about the UGRR there.
And, some fugitives in the “deep deep Spouth” even went farther south – into Spanish-held territory like Florida and Mexico where there was no slavery.
A map from her presentation, showing the area where the Underground Railroad mainly drew from, and routes to the north.
She read part of the story of Addison White in Mechanicsburg, Ohio, who refused to go further north since his companion had been injured. When slave catchers came for him, he fought back – and the town rallied around him.
Schulz is retired from Wittenberg University in northeast Ohio, and was visiting Chillicothe from her home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Hear her in the interview video below.
Her book is part of a huge selection from the History Press (which also publishes the “Images of America” series, of which there is a volume on Chillicothe.) It is available in bookstores like Barnes & Noble and Half Price Books in Columbus, as well as Amazon.
From the news release by the Ross County Historical Society:
During a dark time in our history, thousands of freedom seekers traveled the Underground Railroad through Ohio. The Buckeye State hosted about half of all fugitive slave traffic of the antebellum era. A mix of Northern and Southern settlers in the state added drama to a struggle that led to major benefits for the state and the country.
Unfortunately, this epic past was obscured by silence and secrecy and then distorted with misinformation and folklore – until now. Author and native Ohioan Kathy Schulz accurately details the development and workings of Ohio’s Underground Railroad with true stories of Addison White, John Parker, and others.
Find more in the article on the Scioto Post, including the video interview.
Kevin Coleman covers local government and culture for the Scioto Post and iHeart Media Southern Ohio. For stories or questions, contact Kevin Coleman or the iHeart Southern Ohio Newsroom.
1 of 2 Author and native Ohioan Kathy Schulz presented her new book "The Underground Railroad in Ohio" at the Ross County Heritage Center July 13th, 2024.
2 of 2 Making book sales afterward!