ISAAC MYERS Potomac Chesapeake and Ohio Canal 11710 MacArthur Blvd, 20854 • 301-714-2202 Freedom seekers escaped by following the towpath along the canal before passing into Pennsylvania, a free state. John Curry narrated his flight to freedom from North Carolina to Pennsylvania. Documentation in the form of Runaway Slave ads reveal that the canal was used not only as a transportation route for fugitives escaping slavery, but also as a destination point. Some runaway slaves posed as free Blacks and sought employment in constructing the canal as a means to finance their escape. nps.gov/choh/index.htm (1835–1891), recognized as a pioneer of the African-American trade union movement, was hired in 1855 to supervise one of the largest shipyards in Baltimore. A decade later, he helped establish the Chesapeake Marine Railway and Dry Dock Company and created the Colored National Labor Union, for which he was elected its first president in 1869. The Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park in Baltimore is a national heritage site with galleries containing images, artistic renderings and historic artifacts. be reclaimed by their master. pgparks.com/facilities/ riversdale-house-museum-historic-site Montgomery History: Jane C. Sween Research Library 42 W Middle Ln, 20850 301-340-2825 Government and family records reveal the patterns of slaveholding in Montgomery County and establish the social and cultural context for the Underground Railroad. The collection includes county antebellum tax lists, probate records, census records, county newspapers with fugitive slave notices, sales of slaves and other related information. Books, manuscripts and oral histories enhance the collections. montgomeryhistory.org/ jane-c-sween-research-library Rockville Beall-Dawson House 103 W Montgomery Ave, 20850 301-340-2825 The Beall family was one of the largest slave-owning families in Montgomery County. When Upton Beall died in 1827, he left the plantation to his wife who later passed it to their daughters. The Beall daughters are recognized for not selling any slaves. When emancipation was passed in 1864, they sold pieces of their lands to their formerly enslaved workers. rockvillemd.gov/2211/ Beall-Dawson-House In Their Steps: A Guided Walking Tour 29 Courthouse Sq, 20850 301-762-0096 Hear about the life of Josiah Henson, the model for the title character of Uncle Tom’s Cabin , who risked all for freedom and whose autobiography inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe. Find out about the young Ann Maria Weems, who escaped slavery in Rockville by dressing as a coachman. Learn about two sisters from a prominent Rockville family who exemplify the differences between slaveholders. peerlessrockville.org Riverdale Park Cherry Hill Cemetery 6821 Ingraham St, 20737 301-627-1286 A late 1800s African-American family burial ground. Established in 1884 by Josiah Adams, it is significant as the only intact African-American family farm in the area. Graves are marked with slabs of local ironstone and yucca plants. Many African-American families — such as the Adams, Becketts, and the Plummers — buried their loved ones here from the late 1800s to the 1940s. hmdb.org/marker. asp?marker=32854 Riversdale House Museum 4811 Riverdale Rd, 20737 301-864-0420 An elegant early 1800s Federal-style plantation house has been restored to reflect the lifestyle of the Calverts and the story of Adam Francis Plummer, an enslaved man who brought back his wife, Emily, and children to live in freedom after they escaped from a plantation in Ellicott City. They were caught, jailed in Baltimore and could not Sandy Spring The Underground Railroad Experience Trail 16501 Norwood Rd, 20860 301-929-5989 This trail commemorates Montgomery County residents involved with the Underground Railroad, and celebrates the Quaker heritage and traditions of Sandy Spring. Learn how fleeing slaves eluded capture. This two-mile trail has a natural surface and includes interpretive sign markers keyed to a map. Find the map at the Woodlawn Manor trailhead or on the web site. montgomeryparks.org/parks-and-trails/woodlawn-manor-cultural-park/underground-railroad-experience-trail Maryland’s Underground Railroad & African-American Heritage Travel Guide 17
African American Heritage Guide 2025 African American Heritage Guide: Page 17
