The next public program of the Delaware County Historical Society, “Voices of the Underground Railroad,” will present a poignant look at the way that escaping slaves impacted Delaware County in the years before the Civil War.
It will take place at William Street United Methodist Church, 28 West William Street in downtown Delaware on Wednesday, February 13 at 7 PM.
Presented by the Society’s Curriculum Support Committee, the program is a series of 10 vingettees about the Underground Railroad as told by then-local residents. Those include:
- Abolitionists like Ostrander’s William Cratty
- Peru Township’s Phoebe Benedict
- Mary Frances (Alston) Austin, the last surviving freed slave to arrive in Delaware County
- Runaway slave Asbury Parker’s slave narrative
- and many more.
A narrator will introduce each character who will then tell a piece of their own history. Each short story provides insight from multiple perspectives on the Underground Railroad in Delaware County.
The program concludes with the music of fugitive slaves. You will learn some of the secret symbols embedded in the music.
The program is free and open to the public. There will be an opportunity to make a donation, which will help defray the expenses. To ensure adequate seating, registration is strongly suggested for this program.
You can do so at this link or by contacting the DCHS at 740-369-3831, ext. 3.[widgets_on_pages id=1]
