Steampunk Research: Ohio's Part in The Underground Railroad

As a kid growing up in Cleveland, OH, we talked about The Underground Railroad and Ohio's role in helping escaped slaves flee north, every year during Black History Month.  To be honest,  I really didn't realize how extensive a network of houses (conductor stations), universities (Otterbein & Oberlin to name two), and communities (Africa - East Orange, Westerville, Cleveland, etc.) existed until I started doing my own research.  When I think about the number of people who quietly worked together for a common good, I am overwhelmed.

Provided by the Westerville Historical Society and Westerville Library

There were steamship crews, some populated with escaped slave crewmen, who helped shuttle groups across Lake Erie into Canada.  Once in Canada, some escapees secured passage to Europe and other parts of the world.  Quilts, lamps, hitching posts, flowers, and all manner of items were used by conductors to designate if their home was safe, already occupied, or in danger of being raided by slave catchers.  Whole communities came together to feed, clothe, and outfit traveling groups of escapees.

There were patches of Ohio occupied by southern sympathizers, too.  These areas were avoided at all cost.  As you can see from the map above, there are very few 'straight shots' north through Ohio!

Once I am finished with my first manuscript in my series, I will do more research on what happened once the groups crossed Lake Erie into Canada, where they settled if they decided to go to Europe, and what life was like if they decided to stay in Ohio.

Steampunk Research: Mid-1800 University Physics Lab

The week of July 4th, I traveled to Ohio to visit with family.  During this trip, I ventured down to Westerville, Ohio to do some research for my work-in-progress.

Let me take a moment to give a HUGE note of thanks to Beth Weinhardt - Westerville Historical Society and Westerville Library, and Stephen Grinch - archivist at Otterbein University.  Both were incredibly giving of their time and could offer amazing details off the top of their heads!

Otterbein University is my alma-mater for my master's studies.  It was founded in 1847.  Since it's inception, it has accepted women and people of color as full students, faculty, and members of its campus community.  Many of the buildings and homes around the campus were stops on the Underground Railroad that helped escaped slaves find freedom before and during the Civil War.

Since one of my main characters is a science professor at Otterbein, Stephen was kind enough to pull some photos of the the science labs from the time period of my research. <BTW, How cool is that???>  I will use the pictures he provided to help me with my setting descriptions.

Towers Physics Lab around the time of the Civil War
Photo courtesy of Otterbein University Archives

I will continue to share interesting tidbits of information from my research in future posts.

In the mean time, let me know what you think!