Underground Railroad in Westfield & Washington Township - Sources

History of Hamilton County, Indiana - Thomas Helms 1880 - Google Books link

Note: The wording in this history book from 1880 can be offensive to some. We modified one word in the excerpt below because of that. When reading the original more statments and words can be found that are now very offensive, so please keep that in mind.

CHAPTER XV. 

UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 

An Account of its Operations, with Something of History, Routes, Etc. 

AMONG the principal workers in the ' underground railroad ' movement were the Baker family, Asa Bales, Dr. Hiatt, James L. Hiatt, Jacob L. Pfaff, of Westfield; James M. Thompson, now living in Adams Township; O. C. Lindley, of Adams Township (Michael K: probably more his father or grandfather in Washington Township); J. Roberts, of Washington Township ; Daniel Haskett, of Tipton County; a Mr. Wells, and his son, the latter a youth of some twelve or fourteen years of age, in 1848 and 1850, was quite active in the service, doing the part of driving a wagon under the cover of night, from his father's house, a ' station' on the route to the ' station ' farther north. 

"Mr. Bales was among the warmest supporters of this organization, if organization it can be called. There was no regular society, so far as we have been able to learn, in the county. Westfield, as a ' station' on the route from the Ohio River north, became quite famous, and was known and held in terror by the hunting slave-holders of the South, when they set out in quest of a fugitive. Here, the colored man, having taken advantage of opportunity would set out without money, with but here and there only a friend. The law of the land claimed him as an escaped ' fugitive from justice ; ' his fellowman, made by the laws of his country an enemy and a special deputy, as it were, to return him shackled to his master and, to pay the penalty of the ' runaway n-----,' as he was termed sent to Alabama and sold, the terror of all slaves in the South, and the retribution sure to follow. When this slave in quest of freedom had made good his escape, and landed safely at Westfield, he found friends. He was, almost as a rule, piloted through without further molestation or danger, to Canada, whither he had set out to go, with the north star as his guide, depending on the tender mercies of friends along the route. Those fearless old men and women who stood up and dared the danger, and demanded the removal of the shackles off four millions of souls they that ' gave them to eat,' and shelter to protect and rest them, and guided them safely, refreshed, to the next station ' we may say to them, not only here, but throughout this broad domain, ' Well done, thou good and faithful servants. ' 

"Many very interesting facts have been told us of the various trials, hardships and dangers this unstatutory practice was fraught with. We have not the space to include these ; they are simply the same as all such undertakings encountered in the various States North. Here, one almost within the grasp of liberty, snatched back by the cruel hand of an officer, or a nigger hunter, ' for his paltry fee of $500 reward ; there, one struggling with exhaustion, unable to move further, and fearful of showing himself. perishes in the swamp. And again, others hunted down with the blood-hounds. These men, citizens, our own blood circulating in their veins, hunted down for what ? for the predominance of an instinct as natural to all the civilized nations of the earth as the rose that blooms, and as sweet as the fragrance that it sends forth liberty! " 

This route was via Indianapolis, Westfield, Boxley-New London, in Howard County, also an important point on the route-and so on north and north east to, the Canadas. In this county the route sometimes divided, passing northeast, to Daniel Haskett's, in Tipton County; from thence to Jerome and Greentown, in Howard County, both ' friendly places,' on the line of the ' underground railroad, where the weary traveler would find a haven of rest. Another branch of the route was via Thorntown, in Boone County, also a ' friendly place. ' Scores of colored people have traveled over this line. In answer to our inquiry, the old ' pilots ' and ' engineers,' still living, say there were hundreds of them. "The beginning of the labors on this line is very indefinite-was certainly prior to 1840. Anotable case was one Rhodes, who claimed to be a ' freed slave,' and who had lived in Illinois, for some time prior to his coming to Indiana. He was, however, in due time claimed by a Southerner, who began legal proceedings for his recovery. He was placed in custody, and, the proper bond being furnished, he was to be delivered, as per contract of bondsmen, to Westfield. The parties came through; but the colored man, to the amazement of drivers and all, was missing, ' the bottom of the wagon having fallen out. ' This, of course, was pre-arranged by the bondsmen, who would have forfeited the bond, but for the efforts of Lenten Barber, who ably defended the case, and guaranteed the freedom of Rhodes. " 

Wilbur Siebert 1866-1961 has done the most research on the Underground Railroad. His archive, which is part of the Ohio History Center is a great resource for finding connections to the Underground Railroad.

Besides helpful maps like below, the many letters he received with people telling their or their parents stories about freedom seekers being assisted are a great source. 

Letter from O.C. Lindley (son of Washington Township UGRR conductor Aaron Lindley) to Wilbur Siebert 1893
Which includes his description of the Rhodes Family Incident.

(The letter was accidentally categorized as from Hamilton County Ohio, and Westfield as West Fork, but we wrote them and corrected it in their collection)