Secrets of the Prairie: The Underground Railroad’s in Forgottonia
By: Harry Bulkeley
One of the biggest historical events in Forgottonia didn't happen. Or at least, it was completely invisible. What would you expect since it was a widespread criminal conspiracy? Criminals don't like to leave evidence lying around. What was this shady enterprise? The Underground Railroad was a network of committed abolitionists that smuggled fugitive slaves to freedom.
It happened throughout the North (and the South), but western Illinois was one of the hotbeds of this criminal activity. Although it was a crime to aid enslaved people who were fleeing from captivity, there were many determined to help.
Illinois bordered two slave states, Missouri and Kentucky. Although neither seceded during the Civil War, neither abolished slavery. If a slave escaped and made it to Canada, the law said he was free. Making the journey was treacherous, not only because it was against the law but also because there were bounty hunters who made their living capturing and returning escapees to captivity. "Slave hunters" roamed through the Free States in search of any Black person who might be a slave. If they didn't have proof that they were free (and sometimes even if they did), the slavers would grab them and drag them back south to claim the reward.
A loose-knit group of abolitionists was committed to harboring the fugitives and helping them move on toward freedom. It was as dangerous for those who aided them as it was for the slaves themselves. Western Illinois was settled both by people from the northeast, many of whom opposed slavery and people from the south who either supported it or were ambivalent to it. Those two factions not only disagreed but often came to blows. Certainly, one side would be quick to report the criminal activities of the other.
Everything had to be done as secretly as possible. Runaways first had to cross the Mississippi before there were any bridges. They swam or rafted or even floated on a log across to Quincy or Alton. From there, "conductors" on the Underground Railroad would set them on their way. Going up through Adams and Hancock counties, they would cross into McDonough. Back then, the prairie was largely untamed, and much of the land was covered with Big bluestem grass. It grew so tall that fugitives could easily hide as they traveled. Some places they stopped in McDonough County were Camp Creek in Industry Township or the home of Uncle Billy Allison on Troublesome Creek. They had to move stealthily because there was strong pro-slavery sentiment in the county. In 1852, there was an abolitionist candidate for president, but many locals didn't vote for him. In those days, voting wasn't secret. Your name was called, and you announced publicly who you were voting for. The division even came to a large confrontation between pro and anti-slavery people at Campbell's store on the west side of the square.
If the freedom seekers traveled north from Macomb, they could find shelter with the Dilly's outside Roseville in Warren County. If they traveled east, Fulton County was another "station" on the trip and was home to many stops; Bernadotte, Cuba, Fiatt, Smithfield, Lewistown, Table Grove, and Farmington all had places of refuge. Luther Birge, a carpenter in Farmington, built a large tunnel on his property to shelter fugitives.
Slaves could feel relatively safe upon reaching Galesburg in Knox County. Galesburg was founded by staunch abolitionists from New England. They were hidden in barns, basements, attics, and hay stacks. Old First Church on the square was the center of the enterprise, and many hid in its balconies and bell tower.
Not everyone in these counties was sympathetic to the anti-slavery cause. A grand jury in Knoxville indicted George Washington Gale, the founder of Galesburg, for harboring fugitive slaves, but whenever the sheriff would attempt to arrest Gale, his fellow 'burgers' would protect him.
Edward Beecher was another minister who contributed to the city's reputation as an important station on the Underground Railroad. He was the brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of Uncle Tom's Cabin, and served the brick church known as Beecher Chapel.
Forgottonians can be proud of many figures in our past that helped enslaved people get to freedom. While, by today's standards, some figures may not seem like heroes, all of them—good, bad, or indifferent—were part of the intricate tapestry that shaped early Forgottonia."
Special thanks to my friend Owen Muelder for his excellent book “The Underground Railroad in Western Illinois”.