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The Importance of Indiana in the Underground Railroad

Jessica Cabrera
U.S History Honors
December 5, 2024
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The Importance of Indiana in the Underground Railroad

enslavement through escape and flight through the end of the Civil War. It refers to the efforts of

enslaved African Americans to gain their freedom by escaping bondage. (National Park Service.

2020.) The movement and system ran for 30 years before the United States Civil War. (Schons.

2023) It consisted of "conductors" and "passengers." Conductors were people who guided slaves

to safety and freedom. (Schons. 2023) Some were white abolitionists, some were African

Americans who had been born free, and others were like Harriet Tubman, who had been

formerly enslaved. Passengers were runaway slaves who were seeking safety and freedom; they

were also known as "fugitives," "escapees," or "runaways." Canada or free states such as Indiana

were considered as the final destinations or as a place of sanctuary. Indiana played an important

role in the Underground Railroad due to it containing 3 of the main routes with various stations

and key participants, as well as acting as a center point for the complex system.

Firstly, Indiana was crucial to the Underground Railroad because it was home to three of

its primary routes and many stations. These routes led to Canada, which was often the final

destination. “The routes in Indiana went from Posey to South Bend; from Corydon to Porter; and

from Madison to DeKalb County, with many stops in between” (Schons. 2023). An example of

one that is still standing today is the Erastus Farnham house, which was designed and made with

features to specifically assist with safely hiding passengers. (Archaeology. 2021b) One feature

included a cupola. A small structure built on top of a roof that was used as a lookout point

(Merriam-Webster, 2019). Another example of a station that is still standing today is the

Alexander T. Rankin House, the only house known to have been built and connected to the
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abolition movement and the Underground Railroad movement in Fort Wayne. This demonstrates

how crucial of a role Indiana’s routes and stations played in the Underground Railroad.

Secondly, the Underground Railroad relied heavily on Indiana because of its critical

participants. Hoosiers are people who are residents or natives of Indiana. Various Hoosiers were

conductors in the railroad and were heavily involved in the movement to end slavery. As

mentioned earlier, the Erastus Farnham house was created by Erastus Farnham, who was a loyal

abolitionist and did everything in his power to help assist the Railroad, including designing a

house explicitly for hiding runaway slaves. Another example of a Hoosier conductor who was

mentioned earlier was Alexander T. Rankin. He “founded abolition organizations in both

southern Ohio and northern Indiana”. (Historic Preservation & Archaeology. 2021c) He is also

the only recorded person involved in both the Ohio and Indiana Antislavery Societies.(Historic

Preservation & Archaeology. 2021c) His brother, John Rankin, was also a railroad conductor.

(Historic Preservation & Archaeology. 2021c) This displays how important Indiana's conductors

were to the Underground Railroad.

Thirdly, Indiana was essential to the Underground Railroad because it served as a

junction for the intricate systems. In 1826, Levi Coffin, president of the Underground Railroad

and station master, moved to Newport, Indiana, with his wife, Catharine. Their home soon

became the “Grand Central Station” as all three routes merged at their home. In their two-story,

eight-bedroom bricks, they welcomed over 2,000 passengers over the course of twenty years.

Coffin was a known abolitionist and a well-respected member of his community. (Indiana

Government, n.d.) Due to his well-known beliefs against slavery, he invited others with similar

beliefs to his home to help him with assisting the fugitives. Such as inviting Dr. Henry Way,

fellow abolitionist, to medically treat fugitives on their course to freedom. The Ladies of
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Newport would also assemble at the “Grand Central Station” to donate handmade clothing for

the passengers. These resources are what the Coffin house, “Grand Central Station,” is. This

displays the necessity of Indiana and its’ “Grand Central Station” to the Underground Railroad.

In conclusion, Indiana was an essential section of the Underground Railroad because it

contained three of the primary routes, as well as many stations and key players, and served as a

focal point for the complicated system. Indiana held three primary routes and a variety of

stations, ranging from Posey to South Bend, and contained iconic features like the Erastus

Farnham House and Alexander T. Rankin House. Indiana's Hoosiers, including Erastus Farnham

and Alexander T. Rankin, played crucial roles in the Underground Railroad, as they were

conductors and abolitionists, contributing significantly to the movement against slavery. Lastly,

the president of the Underground Railroad, Levi Coffin’s home, served as a crucial junction for

the system. Coffin's home, known as "Grand Central Station," welcomed over 2,000 passengers

and provided resources for abolitionists. Indiana held great importance and impact towards the

Underground Railroad and its success.

References

Archaeology, Historic Preservation &. 2021a. “Underground Railroad Sites in Indiana.” Historic
Preservation & Archaeology. January 29, 2021. https://www.in.gov/dnr/historic-
preservation/learn-about-topics/underground-railroad/underground-railroad-sites-in-
indiana/.
———. 2021b. “Underground Railroad Sites: Fremont.” Historic Preservation & Archaeology.
January 29, 2021.
https://www.in.gov/dnr/historic-preservation/learn-about-topics/underground-railroad/
underground-railroad-sites-in-indiana/underground-railroad-sites-fremont/.
Dawson, Shay. 2024. “Harriet Tubman.” National Women’s History Museum. 2024.
https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/harriet-tubman.
Historic Preservation & Archaeology. 2021c. “Underground Railroad Sites: Fort Wayne.”
Historic Preservation & Archaeology. January 29, 2021. https://www.in.gov/dnr/historic-
preservation/learn-about-topics/underground-railroad/underground-railroad-sites-in-
indiana/underground-railroad-sites-fort-wayne/.
Indiana Government. n.d. “The Story of the Levi Coffin House Summary.”
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Johnston, Courtney. 2018. “These 7 Places in Indiana Were Main Stops on the Underground
Railroad.” OnlyInYourState®. 2018.
https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/experiences/indiana/indiana-underground-railroad.
Merriam-Webster. 2019. “Definition of CUPOLA.” Merriam-Webster.com. 2019.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cupola.
Mitchell, Dawn. 2020. “‘This Mysterious Road’: Indiana’s Role in the Underground Railroad.”
The Indianapolis Star. July 2, 2020.
https://www.indystar.com/story/news/history/retroindy/2020/07/02/underground-railroad-
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MONTGOMERY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 2020. “Underground Railroad.” MCHS.
2020. https://www.lane-mchs.org/underground-railroad.
National Park Service. 2020. “What Is the Underground Railroad? - Underground Railroad (U.S.
National Park Service).” Nps.gov. October 15, 2020.
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https://www.nps.gov/subjects/undergroundrailroad/what-is-the-underground-
railroad.htm.
Schons, Mary. 2023. “The Underground Railroad in Indiana.” Education.nationalgeographic.org.
October 19, 2023. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/underground-
railroad-indiana/.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 2014. “Hoosier National Forest - Underground
Railroad: Lick Creek Church.” Usda.gov. 2014.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/hoosier/recarea/?recid=81892.
Wabash Valley Visions and Voices. 2024. “The Underground Railroad in Indiana.” Lib.in.us.
2024. https://visions.isl.lib.in.us/civilwar/railroad.html.
Warren, Kim. 2019. “Underground Railroad | Civil War on the Western Border: The Missouri-
Kansas Conflict, 1854-1865.” Civilwaronthewesternborder.org. 2019.
https://civilwaronthewesternborder.org/encyclopedia/underground-railroad.
WRTV, INDIANAPOLIS. 2022. “Levi and Catharine Coffin’s Home Was the ‘Grand Central
Station of the Underground Railroad.’” WRTV Indianapolis. February 17, 2022.
https://www.wrtv.com/news/black-history-month/levi-and-catharine-coffins-home-was-
the-grand-central-station-of-the-underground-railroad.