Where is the Underground Railroad in Illinois?

Where is the Underground Railroad in Illinois?

In the 1800s, Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, Glendale Heights, Wayne Center, Warrenville, West Chicago, Lombard, Naperville, Downers Grove, Hinsdale, Lyons and Oak Brook had stations on the Underground Railroad. Passengers from the south, southwest and western parts of the state passed through DuPage County.

Was there an Underground Railroad in Illinois?

Many of Illinois’ Underground Railroad homes were owned by abolitionists and were located near rivers. One of the most famous is the Owen Lovejoy Homestead, a National Historic Landmark in Princeton.

Where were the Underground Railroad safe houses located?

In the years leading up to the Civil War, the black abolitionist William Still offered shelter to hundreds of freedom seekers as they journeyed northward.

How do you know if house was Underground Railroad?

1) Check the date when the house was built.

1. Check the date when the house was built.
2. At your county clerk’s office, or wherever historical deeds are stored in your locality, research the property to determine who owned it between the American Revolution and the Civil War (roughly 1790-1860).

Does the Underground Railroad still exist today?

Nearly two-thirds of those sites still stand today. The Hubbard House, known as Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard and The Great Emporium, is the only Ohio UGRR terminus, or endpoint, open to the public. At the Hubbard House, there is a large map showing all of the currently known sites.

Was Chicago part of the Underground Railroad?

As the terminus of most Underground Railroad routes originating in Illinois towns bordering the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, Chicago was a hub of antislavery activity. Workers provided lodging or transportation and were sometimes personally involved in rescue efforts.

Why would Cairo Illinois be an important city to the Underground Railroad?

The river city of Cairo was once an important transportation hub for African-Americans from southern states seeking expanded freedom and opportunity. Cairo’s history as a migration center dates back to before the Civil War, when the city served as a stop on the Underground Railroad.

Where is William Still House?

This led him and his wife Letitia to move to a relatively new rowhouse on the east side of Ronaldson Street between South and Bainbridge Streets, which still stands today at 625 S. Delhi Street. The Stills occupied this house, which was an Underground Railroad Way Station, from 1850 through 1855.

What cities were part of the Underground Railroad?

In the decades leading up to the American Civil War, settlements along the Detroit and Niagara Rivers were important terminals of the Underground Railroad. By 1861, some 30,000 freedom seekers resided in what is now Ontario, having escaped slave states like Kentucky and Virginia.

What were safe houses in the Underground Railroad called?

The free individuals who helped runaway slaves travel toward freedom were called conductors, and the fugitive slaves were referred to as cargo. The safe houses used as hiding places along the lines of the Underground Railroad were called stations.