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The Underground Railroad in
Sycamore
by Mac McIntyre
copyright© 1998
A lone man lurked about the corn field just outside
of the town of Sycamore. He was a black man. He had trekked a long
and treacherous journey from deep within the South on his way,
hopefully, to freedom that was only available, for him, in Canada.
He started out from a plantation in Georgia. He had
been taught from the lessons of Harriet Tubman: Travel at night.
Sleep cautiously during the day. Follow the "big drinking gourd"
(Big Dipper) on his way to the north. Watch for signs, such as a
drinking gourd placed on the front doors of white people's homes, as
this indicated someone willing to help with at least a little food
and possibly some shelter. Look for quilts hanging on the laundry
lines of "friendlies" that were patterned in secret codes informing
of impending danger or safety. Don't get caught and, if you do, do
not tell where you've been or who helped you get there.
From Georgia, the man traveled west. Ever since the
"Fugitive Slave Act" was passed in 1850, rewards were being offered
for catching runaway slaves and turning in those who would help them
escape. Tennessee, Kentucky and most of Illinois were no longer
safe to travel. By going west he could hope to connect with the
Underground Railroad, a clandestine operation conducted by those
with abolitionist views. In Kansas was the "Brown Line," an
organization led by the militant John Brown. From there it was on
to Iowa to hook up with the "Lovejoy Line," headed up by Owen
Lovejoy from Princeton, Illinois. Owen's brother, Elijah, had been
assassinated in Alton for publishing an abolitionist newspaper.
Owen Lovejoy had organized an extensive network
through northern Illinois. As a deacon in the Congregational Church
he established many contacts with members of associate churches from
the Mississippi River to the shores of Lake Michigan. One such
member, David West, resided just east of Sycamore. Although not as
militant as John Brown, nor as vocal as Owen Lovejoy, David West was
very firm in his anti-slavery beliefs.
West had a reputation of being a "conductor" on the
Underground Railroad. He was also known for his adroit shooting
ability. It was said he could "shoot the eye out of a deer from 50
yards away." This reputation served him well on at least one
occasion when a local sheriff and a couple bounty hunters
contemplated stopping his wagon and searching it for runaway
slaves. The reward they were after was more than $1,000, big money
in those days. When they heard about his shooting ability and saw
the confidence in which he carried about on his mission the sheriff
and the bounty hunters decided that lives were more valuable than
the $1,000.
It was people like Lovejoy and West who, despite
great risk to themselves, helped to bring the barbaric practice of
slavery to an end in the United States. The name of Lovejoy is
better known than that of West. After all, he had lost a brother to
the cause when Elijah was gunned down. West took many risks but
perhaps those risks were lessened somewhat because there were so
many in Sycamore who actively participated in helping others reach
freedom.
There were the Kelloggs, the Pages, the Townsends
and the Nickersons who were known members of the Underground
Railroad. There were others. The First Congregationalist Church in
Sycamore held meetings and officially passed, as policy, a
proclamation that encouraged their members to assist in the efforts
of the Underground Railroad. The building that was the home of the
Universalist Church at that time, a stately residence even today,
may have been used as a station, that is debated, but certainly the
church assisted in the effort.
There were more than 40 Sycamore residents who were
registered at the post office as subscribers to abolitionists
newspapers. The sentiment against slavery was so strong in Sycamore
that the newly forming Republican Party thought it best to hold one
of its earliest meetings there.
Stephen Douglas, the Democrat and proponent of
state's rights -- even if those rights included not allowing all
humans the basic right of freedom -- came to Sycamore to try to undo
what was done with the meetings of the early Republicans. His visit
and speech were lightly attended. When Frederick Douglas, the slave
who became a free man, spoke in Sycamore, large crowds attended.
If the runaway slave reached Sycamore, he or she
would have greatly increased the chances for obtaining the elusive
right of freedom. With a day or two stay and some much needed
nourishment, the runaway was off to St. Charles, Chicago, Lake
Michigan and Canada.
The story of the Underground Railroad is a segment
of Sycamore's history that should be remembered. Because of its
clandestine nature, however, the whole story may never be told.
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