Last stations to freedom:
Traveling the routes of the Underground Railroad
By Marjory Allen Perez
The young man could barely breathe as he was jostled along the plank road from Naples to Bristol Springs, hidden in a hearse drawn by two horses. Would he make it to freedom? Had he come so far only to be caught and returned to slavery?
In 1997, New York State passed the Freedom Trail Act, sparking renewed interest in documenting the history of what is popularly known as the “Underground Railroad.” For many fugitive slaves the final stage of the journey to freedom took place in the Central Finger Lakes region of New York State.
The strategic location of the Central Finger Lakes region in the heart of New York State, its geography, and a strong anti-slavery sentiment among the population combined to make the region a major crossroads in the history of the Underground Railroad. A fount of folklore and historical documentation tell a story of an active Underground Railroad within the region prior to the Civil War.
In the early years the Underground Railroad was an informal system of persons assisting fugitive slaves on their way to freedom. With the passage and enforcement of the harsh Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, persons who formed the basis of the Underground Railroad in the Central Finger Lakes region were forced to became better organized and more secretive. It is that secrecy that has made uncovering the complete history of the Underground Railroad a difficult task.
Many communities in the region made contributions to the story of the Underground Railroad. A review of a map of New York State for this region helps to plot the logical routes – both waterways and roadways – which linked the communities of the Central Finger Lakes and the persons who worked on the Underground Railroad. The routes traveled by the fugitives were many and varied, but the goal was always north to freedom.
Auburn, located on one of New York State’s historic east-west thoroughfares, became a refuge of one of the heroes of the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman. Tubman was encouraged to move to Auburn by her friend William H. Seward, a former governor of New York and active member of the Underground Railroad.
Although the historical record is not complete and the actual location of “stations” is not always fully documented, a traveler would have no trouble following the routes of the Underground Railroad through the Central Finger Lakes region. The visitor will find the roads are much improved since the 1850s and the agricultural landscape includes world famous vineyards. Yet the hospitality of the region remains intact.