Crescent-News.com - Buried secret uncovered

By LISA NICELY

DELTA -- Along Ohio 109 is a family cemetery that is part of a secret buried for hundreds of years.

After six years and countless hours of work, individuals may have only begun to scratch the surface of that secret -- the story of the Underground Railroad in northwest Ohio.

In 2004, the King family cemetery just south of Delta was recognized by the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. It is officially recognized as an underground railroad site, one of many that ran throughout Ohio.

Now Naomi Twining of Toledo and Mark Lozer of Wauseon are working to recognize part of the historic King homestead property as part of the railroad as well. The original property encompassed almost all of section 24 in York Township.

"Right now they (Network to Freedom) only recognizes the cemetery," Twining said. "Everyone else has recognized the whole farm."

Lozer said the King property was just part of the whole network.

"We may try to get the whole network some recognition," he said. "But it's a lot of work to get one site done."

The application for part of the homestead has taken years of research and hard work by individuals. It has the backing of several organizations including the Ohio Historical Society, Buxton National Historical Site, Friends of Freedom Society, Ohio Underground Railroad Association and several Fulton County historical and genealogical societies.

Twining has been working to uncover information of the King family for approximately six years, with help from other researchers like Lozer and Genevieve Eicher. Eicher's research into her extended family's Underground Railroad stations has helped in the collection of data to prove the King family farm was a stop on the railroad.

On Wednesday, James Hill, midwest region coordinator of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, was in town to help them with the application process. The application will be presented in July to a panel that will decide on the designation.

"I think that the story of the Underground Railroad in northwest Ohio has not been told," said Hill. "It has been overlooked for a variety of reasons. The importance of Naomi's work is that she's elevated the need to study this work. The King cemetery was the first site in northwest Ohio to be recognized. As a result, I anticipate seeing a lot more individuals studying it."

The story of the King's family involvement in the Underground Railroad is documented in several books including Look to the North Star: A Life of William King, Something to Hope For, Bound for Canada and Harriet Beecher Stowe's Dred: A Tale of the Great Dismal Swamp.

"It's rare to find good documentation," Lozer remarked, adding that much information about underground activities has been passed down in families. In fact, Lozer and Twining have been driving a couple hundred miles each weekend to check out other possible Underground Railroad sites in the region.

The King family involvement, though, has been well documented for the most part.

One of the most prominent of the King family members was Rev. William King, who immigrated to the United States from Ireland. King's brother, John, and his family established a home in Delta around 1834. Rev. King stayed there approximately two years. The family farm began being a station for the Underground Railroad sometime in the 1840s, it is believed.

After the family home was established. Rev. King later traveled to Louisiana, where he married Mary Phares. When his wife died, she left her 15 slaves to him.

Rev. King took the slaves from Louisiana to his farm in Delta in 1848. Rev. King left them with his brother while he traveled to Canada to prepare a place for them.

"His slaves were safe, despite the Black Laws," wrote Victor Ullman in Rev. King's biography, Look to the North Star. "They were not yet free because they had not crossed the 'line.' But the King men would protect them from slave stealers, having had a good deal of experience in such activities. The King farm by then was the area's Underground Rail Road station ..."

According to reports, the group of slaves stayed at the King farm for approximately a year and a half. During that time they were taught how to farm, log, preserve fruits and to read or write by members of John King's family. They were also paid for their work.

While the slaves were learning various skills, Rev. King was establishing a settlement on clergy reserve lands in Canada.

In 1849, the Buxton/Elgin settlement was established. The Buxton settlement is a valuable piece of Canadian history, which has been recognized by the Canadian national government. There is a museum and monument established there.

The Canadian government has also offered to help Twining and Lozer with the King project.

"The story of Rev. William King is an inspiring one," said Dennis Moore, with the Canadian consulate general.

Hill said that while King has been internationally recognized for his work, "the fact that he is from Delta is overshadowed by his work in Buxton. The story here has been overlooked."

There are several different routes individuals took in the Underground Railroad network in the area. One route, on which the King family farm would have been on, has been described as being from the Ohio River to the upper Auglaize River to the Wapakoneta and Ottawa area, then to Grand Rapids and onto Canada. Many of the freed slaves made their way to the Buxton/Elgin settlement.

If the application for the Network to Freedom is approved, Twining hopes to put the markers on the American Legion building, which is on the historic homestead property and directly across the street from the cemetery.

The markers will cost approximately $8,000-$10,000.

Twining said about half of that amount has been raised. A fund has been set up at the Fulton County Historical Society for the markers.

In addition to the King family's involvement, Twining and Lozer have been gathering information about Underground Railroad sites and activities throughout the region. Lozer is currently looking at Quaker involvement, and Twining is investigating several of the other families involved in the region including the Howards of Wauseon. She has even uncovered a letter talking about a near miss with slave catchers in the region.

For more information on the Underground Railroad in the region, visit www.rootsweb.com/~ohfulton/UNDERGROUNDRAILROADOFNWOHIO.htm.