Recognizing the Underground Railroad
May 31—Two sites in Ironton to be dedicated on Wednesday
The Appalachian Freedom Heritage Tourism Initiative will be dedicating two of Ironton's historic sites in Ironton that were part of the Underground Railroad.
On Wednesday at 10 a.m., a marker will be put on the Campbell House, which was the residence of John and Elizabeth Campbell and served as a station for Underground Railroad operations in Lawrence County. The Campbells worked with other local abolitionists to assist freedom
Then at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, they will mark Ironton African Methodist Church in Ironton. Now knowns as Quinn Chapel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, it was founded by Retta and Gabe N. Johnson. The couple helped freedom seekers escape through the Hanging Rock Iron District, a region encompassing the Tri-State area of Ohio, Kentucky and what was formerly part of the state of Virginia and is now part of West Virginia.
"It is exciting to see this federal investment in the historical assets we have in the Tri-State region. Our research is recovering important lost chapters of local history that will transform our understanding of the past and help draw interest and visitors to the region," said Dr. Andrew Feight, Director of Research and Outreach for the Appalachian Freedom Heritage Tourism Initiative. "This is a history for which we all can be proud as Americans and it's an honor and a humbling experience for me to play my part in the endeavor."
Marty Conley, LEDC/Tourism director of Lawrence County, said they are honored that the Appalachian Heritage Freedom Tourism Initiative has helped make it possible for the National Park Service to recognize these Underground Railroad sites.
"This is a meaningful step in preserving these stories, and we look forward to safeguarding even more local history for future generations," he said.
The Appalachian Freedom Heritage Tourism Initiative recently reached a significant milestone in its mission to document the region's Underground Railroad history, with an additional eight verified sites now officially listed on the National Park Service's (NPS) National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.
Supported by an Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) POWER Grant awarded to the Lawrence Economic Development Corp. (LEDC), this nine-county, Tri-State project spans the tristate region of Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia. When completed, the Appalachian Freedom Heritage Tour will consist of 27 verified Network to Freedom sites. The initiative aims to preserve historically significant locations and promote economic development through cultural tourism in the Appalachian region.
The Network to Freedom program, created by Congress in 1998, highlights more than 800 places and programs. The Network verifies that each one is a true story about the men, women and children who freed themselves or were helped by others to escape enslavement. Some succeeded and others, tragically, failed. The Network to Freedom program has listings in 41 states, Washington, D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada.
For more information on the Appalachian Freedom Heritage Tourism Initiative, and for additional image requests, visit www.appalachianfreedom.com or contact Conley at marty@visitlawrenceohio.com or Feight at afeight@shawnee.edu or Dr. Cicero Fain III at fainc@marshall.edu.
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