Freedom Seekers: A Tour of Local Underground Railroad Sites

About The Event

Join us as we traverse the grounds in Cleveland taken by those enslaved, as they sought freedom and human dignity. On our short journey, we will be visited by actors portraying historical figures of the period who will provide us with eyewitness accounts of the struggles and triumphs of that era.

Email racialequitybuddies@fhcpresb.org to RSVP.

10:00am – Meet at Station Hope (St. John’s Church, 2600 Church Ave., Cleveland)
We will walk to Wendy Park, approximately one mile away, which served as a launching point for Freedom Seekers meeting boats bound for Detroit or Buffalo. Along the way, we will be met by actors portraying historical characters who will recount stories of that era. We will have an opportunity to interact with them. Rain site: Stella Maris, 1320 Washington Avenue, for an indoor presentation.

12:00pm – Carpool to and tour the Cozad-Bates House (11508 Mayfield Rd., Cleveland Heights)
The Cozad-Bates House is the only pre-Civil War home remaining in University Circle. An interpretive center, it highlights the area’s history as a center of anti-slavery activism and honors those seeking freedom through indoor exhibits and outdoor installations. The Cozad-Bates House is included on the Ohio Historical Underground Railroad Trail.

1:00pm – Lunch provided and discuss the day’s events
“The past is not dead; it isn’t even past.” How is the history of the Underground Railroad relevant today?