Did You Know You Live Near A Secret Railroad?

The Illinois Bicentennial is a catalyst for experiencing a new Sense of
Place. When you travel on many of the state’s highways, railroads,
and waterways you are retracing routes of the historic Illinois
Underground Railroad.

If you drive along a local road, ride on Amtrak or a commuter train, or
hike along a riverbank you may be in, or possibly near, a location
where there was Underground Railroad activity. Thinking of this can
give you a heightened sense of appreciation and connectedness to the
history that may have happened there.

Before the Civil War many roads (originally Native American trails, later
stagecoach lines, and eventually Interstate highways), railroads, and
rivers that we travel today were traveled by Freedom Seekers (aka as
“passengers”). The Freedom Seekers were enslaved Africans who had
escaped from bondage in the slave state of Missouri. They may have
watched and waited for years for just the opportune moment to escape.
Or acted on short notice if they learned that they were about to be
sold.

In any event they set out for their long dangerous journey to reach
Illinois and perhaps Canada. No one knows how many drowned or became
victims of bitter cold, quicksand, disease, snakebites, hunger, or
were captured and taken back into slavery.

If they could reach and cross the Mighty Mississippi River they may have
entered Illinois at Chester, Alton, Quincy, Brooklyn (aka Lovejoy),
or Rock Island. The Quincy route was called the Number One route. It
passed through Mendon, Plymouth, Galesburg, Princeton, and Ottawa.
Freedom Seekers who had escaped from Kentucky plantations crossed the
Ohio River to reach Cairo.

Early roads, and railroads led from river cities toward Chicago--the
terminus of the Illinois Underground Railroad. Many Freedom Seekers
made most or all of their journey on foot. Some were befriended by
Black or White Underground Railroad workers some of whom may have
transported them in wagons concealed underneath vegetables they were
taking to market. Occasionally they were able to travel on actual
railroads. Dr. C. V. Dyer, president of the Chicago,
Burlington, and Quincy Railroad arranged
train transportation for Freedom Seekers. B. G. Roots, surveyor for
the Illinois Central Railroad had tracks placed on its property in
Tamaora, hid Freedom Seekers in empty boxcars, then hitched the
boxcars on Chicago-bound trains. (The CB&Q and the IC railroads
are now part of the Metra commuter lines.)

Rivers were not the only useful waterways. Freedom Seekers followed “Water
highways” as creeks, streams, and the I & M Canal where they
walked along the tow path through Lockport, Joliet, and Romeoville.

It was significant that the terminus of the Illinois Underground
Railroad was the very place where Haitian born Jean Baptiste Point du
Sable, founder of Chicago, had established his trading post years
before.

When Freedoms Seekers reached Chicago they could profit from their own
labor, having done all kinds of work when they were enslaved. This
was one of the great benefits of freedom.

They found and participated in cooperative efforts of people of different
religions, races, and incomes.

Freedom Seekers passed through Downer’s Grove, Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, Lombard
and other west suburban towns before reaching Chicago from the west.
If they approached from the south they may have stopped at
Underground Railroad stations in Crete, Plainfield, New Lenox or
Frankfort. However, the Freedom Seekers weren’t the only people who
knew Chicago was the terminus. Slave catchers knew it too. Because of
this, rather than go into the city some Freedom Seekers turned
eastward in the Calumet area and followed the Sauk Trail toward
Indiana, perhaps stopping at the Jon Ton Farm near present-day
Altgeld Gardens. Others went northward along the DesPlaines River
through Maywood, Libertyville, Gurnee, or Millburn. Still others
followed Lake Michigan toward Evanston, Lake Forest, Waukegan, and
other northern suburbs.

So let the Bicentennial serve as a catalyst in finding a new personal
meaning in living in Illinois. As you travel the state’s highways,
railroads, and waterways, take time to visit your local library or
historical society. Check to see if there was Underground
Railroad/abolitionist/antislavery activity nearby. You may be
pleasantly surprised and experience a new Sense of Place as the
result of what you discover!