The Underground Railroad Bike Tour: Part Two

South of Freedom’s River: The Ohio

I have spent most of my life in Louisville, Kentucky and did not discover until recently the abundant history of slaves who sought their freedom across the banks of the Ohio River bordering the states of Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio. I thought I knew a few things about slavery in Kentucky and Louisville. I now find I know very, very little about slavery in Kentucky or my hometown of Louisville. Since slaves were considered property; most birth and death records are almost non-existent.  U.S.Census Slave Schedules, property records, church records, family bibles and spoken word of family history passed from generation to generation are in most cases the main sources of family trees of descendants of slaves.

My family tree has many missing branches due to the lack of documented history.  For me, a lot of my family tree is from the spoken word passed from generation to generation.  Unfortunately, a lot of that family history is buried with those who have preceded me. However; my paternal great grandfather was a slave on a farm in eastern Jefferson County, Kentucky.  This farm was owned by the Williamson family.  I can only surmise; once freed my great grandfather dropped the "son" from the last name of his owner; thus becoming Williams.  Sure I have been aware of the contributions many blacks have made who claim Louisville, KY. as their home;    Muhammad Ali, Mary Ann Fisher Jimmy Ellis, Lionel Hampton, Whitney M. Young, Jr., and Darrell Griffith.  One of them was my mentor and former employer William E, Summers, III.   However, I am clueless to what so many had to endure, what so many sacrificed, how so many helped and how so many who sought freedom died.  So Louisville, KY is where the Underground Railroad Bicycle tour begins for me.

Louisville, KY was a very dangerous area for runaway slaves traveling along the Underground Railroad.  In the years preceding the civil war; Kentucky was a hot bed for exporting slaves down the Ohio River.  Some estimates say between 2500 – 4000 slaves annually made their way down the Ohio River to larger plantations in the south. 

Life for slaves in the Louisville was not as demanding as farm or plantation slaves.  Most slaves in the Louisville area lived in small housing areas within an ear shout of their owner’s home.  Because there was a large number of free blacks within Louisville and adjacent Kentucky and southern Indiana counties; slave owners were always concerned about runaway slaves.

 I was totally taken aback in finding out that slave traders operated along the Ohio River near Louisville where they kept slaves in pens.  To deter escaping, slaves were shackled together until they were sold.   These slaves were marched along Main Street to Portland where they boarded boats to be sent to southern plantations. 

It has been reported one in three Kentuckians owned an average of 4.3 slaves per household. By 1860, 225,483 slaves lived in Kentucky. 

Slavery Laws in Old Kentucky

I was ignorant of the countless people who assisted black slaves seek their emancipation along the Underground Railroad through Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio.  By it’s very the nature The Underground Railroad had to be cloaked with secrecy.  People from all walks of life both black and white, school teachers, farmers, businessmen, ministers, and just plain folk were all instrumental in running the Underground Railroad. Due to that secrecy;  The Underground Railroad developed its own jargon, which continued the railway metaphor:

• People who helped slaves find the railroad were "agents" (or "shepherds")
• Guides were known as "conductors"
• Hiding places were "stations"
• "Stationmasters" would hide slaves in their homes
• Escaped slaves were referred to as "passengers" or "cargo"
• Slaves would obtain a "ticket"
• Financiers of the Railroad were known as "stockholders".

Conductors and passengers used the skies as a way to find their way north. The Big Dipper, whose 'bowl' points to the north star, was known as the drinkin' gourd  The Railroad itself was often known as the "Freedom train" or "Gospel train", which headed towards "Heaven" or "the Promised Land" - Canada.   

I presently live less than two miles from a former plantation which at the time was considered to be the rural part of Louisville, Jefferson County, KY.  The Farmington plantation is approximately nine miles from the Ohio River and downtown Louisville.  It is a 20 minute bike ride for me when I commute to work.  I cannot imagine how long it took some slaves who tried to escape the reigns of slavery from this plantation to make that journey down a dark Bardstown Road through fields, wooded areas, slipping around corners into downtown Louisville. What follows is a short video of my visit to this historic property.

As I work my way toward the Ohio River and I come to an area where story has it that Lucie and Thornton Blackburn, two slaves who more than likely used the Underground Railroad to escape from Louisville to Canada in the 1830’s

And now as I am about to cross the Ohio River I cannot help but think of planning this trip.  Wondering what campground or motel where I will sleep, worrying about where and when I can refill my water supply, what choices I have to eat, what safe roads to take, which cycling jerseys I will wear, how many insulin pumps to take, what shoes to wear, what rain gear to take, should I take my notebook computer and  ham radio.  And then I stop with all of this insignificant inner babble and reflect back on the conditions the freedom seekers endured escaping the cruel living conditions of slavery by plummeting through streams, creeks and rivers in the dead cold of winter or the humid heat of summers in the Ohio River valley; sleeping in conditions I could never imagine, eating whatever was given to them or whenever they were able to forage from the land, walking over terrain, probably without the comfort of shoes and clothes which were tattered and inadequate for their journey; battling disease or other health related illnesses, quenching their thirst through whatever they thought was safe to drink and following a route not guided by GPS but by stars, conductors, and songs of freedoms journey.  As I reflect on their experiences; I am flooded with deep emotions which at times bring me to the brink of tears.  These emotions range from pain, elation, pride and comfort knowing their quest for liberty helped me have the freedom to make this excursion

Ride your bike today and see what you have missed.