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Deavertown: Stop on the Underground Railroad
The threats of local proslavery people did not frighten the Abolitionists. They not only held firmly to their opinions, but also helped escaping slaves to reach freedom in Canada. For this aid they were subject to a fine of $1,000 and imprisonment for six months under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. At least twenty-five Muskingum County families risked this punishment by operating stations on the Underground Railroad. This was a series of stations for transporting slaves secretly to Canada. Escaping slaves crossed the Ohio River near Parkersburg or Point Pleasant and were conducted through Deavertown to Zanesville and westward to New Concord on the way to Bloomfield and Coshocton.
Two northbound Underground Railroad lines through Rosseau and Pennsville came together at the home of Thomas L. Gray, a harness maker in Deavertown. One of Gray’s trusted assistants was Rial Cheadle, teacher, peddler, keelboatman, and maker of pewter buttons. On peddling trips to the South, Cheadle posed as a halfwit and entertained the slaves with eccentric songs. The plantation owners saw no connection between Cheadle’s visits and the departure of their slaves. But Cheadle always had several slaves with him when he knocked at the door of friends and hummed softly, “I’m on my way to Canada, where colored men are free.”
The first station one mile north of Deavertown was operated by Mrs. Affadilla Deaver. Two miles farther slaves were kept at the home of Henry Weller. Avoiding Roseville, the runaways found their next refuge at the home of Lydia Stokely. The store and tan yard of Andrew Dugan two and one-half miles above the Stokely farm gave the next haven. Two miles farther north the escaping slaves found safety at the grist mill of Josephus Powell. Stations between this mill and Putnam were kept at the Five Mile House, and the William Wiley, Cyrus Merriam, and Jenkins homes.
As these people concealed slaves during the day and smuggled them to other stations at night, they had many amusing and exciting adventures. Gray once started to Roseville with three slaves and realized that he was being watched. He had the three boys lie on the floor of the wagon and hold up their hands and feet. Then he threw a sheet over them. When some proslavery men asked him what he was hauling, Gray replied: “Oh, I’m just taking three pigs to market.” Affadilla Deaver started to Roseville one morning with several slaves concealed on the bottom of the wagon beneath straw and produce. At the bottom of Wigton’s hill the wagon stuck in the mud. Not daring to remove her load, she asked four proslavery farmers to assist her. Unknowingly they helped the slaves on their way to Canada.
Source: Schneider, Norris Franz (1898-1993). Y Bridge City: The Story of Zanesville and Muskingum County, Ohio. The World Publishing Company, Cleveland and New York, 1950, pages 207-8.
Underground RR Map
Latest page update: made by LeilaN
, Apr 22 2008, 1:01 AM EDT
(about this update
About This Update
Edited by LeilaN
view changes
- complete history)
Edited by LeilaN
view changes
- complete history)
Keyword tags:
civil war
Deavertown
Dugan
muskingum river
Norris Schneider
slavery
Stokley
underground railway
Weller
Zanesville
More Info: links to this page
| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | |
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| LeilaN | Deavertown UGRR | 2 | Mar 23 2008, 1:10 AM EDT by LeilaN | |
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Thread started: Mar 22 2008, 12:54 PM EDT
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I've attached a map of the UGRR routes that ran through Deavertown. (To view it, scroll to the bottom of this page - it is a PDF). Deavertown was truly a funnel for many routes.
I have read that more than 30,000 slaves may have escaped through Ohio to Canada. There was a network of over 700 safehouses and “depots” for those fortunate enough to make it to Ohio. But it was not all that safe since bounty hunters abounded following the passing of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 making it legal to track slaves in 'safe' states. What courage was shown by those helping them... not to mention the bravery of the slaves themselves. |
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| anwag | Railroad | 3 | Mar 22 2008, 7:18 PM EDT by LeilaN | |
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Thread started: Mar 17 2008, 12:45 PM EDT
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That is a great story Franz keep up the good work
Alan |
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UGRRMap.pdf (Adobe Portable Document Format - 146k)
posted by LeilaN Mar 22 2008, 1:05 PM EDT
Ohio UGRR Map showing routes through Deavertown
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