The Early Conductors
Tyler Bartz
My research project revolved around the early conductors of the underground railroad in Milwaukee. The underground railroad is most commonly known for the stories of the escaped slaves. However, the conductors were just as important to the railroad. Caroline Quarlls was the first escaped slave through Wisconsin and without the help of two conductors and one assistant, she would not have made it. These are the people that my project was focused about.
Samuel Brown
Mr. Brown was the first conductor Ms. Quarlls met. She arrived in Milwaukee with the slave hunters close behind her. Ms. Quarlls initially found an African American barber who claimed that he would help her hide from the hunters. Although he claimed to help, he attempted to betray her. The barber told the slave hunters where he had hid Ms. Quarlls. Fortunately for her, the barbers assistant knew of his plan and hid Ms. Quarlls in a different location. This is when she met Mr. Brown. He took her into his home for the night to hide from the hunters. The following day Mr. Brown took Ms. Quarlls to Waukesha where she met up with Lyman Goodnow.
Lyman Goodnow
Mr. Goodnow is widely considered to be the first conductor in Wisconsin. This is because of the actual trip that he undertook with Ms. Quarlls. After Samuel Brown brought Ms. Quarlls to Waukesha, it was Lyman Goodnow who took her in. Mr. Goodnow took Caroline Quarlls all the way from Waukesha to the Canadian border. He did this with the help of Ezra Mendall. It was because of these two men that Caroline Quarlls was able to make it to safety. Ms. Quarlls acknowledged this when she sent a letter to Lyman Goodnow, thanking him for saving her some 30 years later.
Picture Gallery
Top: Lyman Goodnow
Bottom: A plaque in place to honor Lyman Goodnow
Above: Samuel Browns house, the house Caroline Quarlls hid in
Conclusion
These conductors are extremely important and they do not receive the amount of recognition they deserve. There are a large number of conductors that receive zero recognition at all, but even the ones that are known receive poor memorials. One such memorial is shown above with the Lyman Goodnow. This plaque is overgrown and not taken care of at all. People like Lyman Goodnow and Samuel Brown made the underground railroad operate and deserve proper recognition for that. This is something that the Underground Railroad group will attempt to address as plans to tell these stories progresses further.
sources
Chan, Amy. “Runaway Slave on the Wisconsin-Canada Line.” HistoryNet, HistoryNet, 5 June 2018, www.historynet.com/runaway-slave-wisconsin-canada-line.htm.
Engseth, Ellen. “Caroline Quarlls.” Encyclopedia of Milwaukee, emke.uwm.edu/entry/caroline-quarlls/.
“Lyman Goodnow Historical Marker.” Historical Marker, 16 June 2016, www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=44584.
“Member Details.” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, www.nps.gov/subjects/ugrr/ntf_member/ntf_member_details.htm?SPFID=4099139&SPFTerritory=NULL&SPFType=NULL&SPFKeywords=NULL.