“I am naturally anti-slavery. If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong.
I cannot remember when I did not so think and feel.”
--Abraham Lincoln
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( from a letter to A G. Hodges, April 4, 1864, Complete Works of Abraham Lincoln, Nicolay and Hay)
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Crossing the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky, to New Albany, Indiana, was a route of
freedom for slaves.
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The red line on the map shows a path from Louisville, Kentucky, north across the
Ohio River to New Albany, Indiana. New Albany is the county seat of Floyd
County which stretches for 13 miles directly across the Ohio River from
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Louisville.
Historical Markers in New Albany
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What Was Slavery Like?
The National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program gives the following information:
“The common thread binding all slaves was the fact that they had no legal rights.
Slaves were considered property which could be bought and sold at anytime.
Slaves could not own property.
By law, it was illegal to teach a slave to read and write.
Slaves could not legally marry.
Slaves had no rights over their children.
Slaves could not worship as they chose.
Slaves could not come and go as they chose to do so.
The Underground Railroad provided the means by which the slave could reach his/her dream of freedom
and all the possibilities that came with it.”
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The Carnegie Center for Art and History in New Albany features a permanent exhibit
documenting the critical role New Albany played in the Underground Railroad.
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New Albany resident, Pamela Peters, has been intrigued with the Underground
Railroad since girlhood. During extensive research into primary sources she uncovered
proof of the Underground Railroad in the area. Her book, The Underground Railroad in
Floyd County, Indiana, led to a permanent exhibit at Carnegie Center.
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Introduction to the Exhibit
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Kentucky was a slave-holding state while Indiana was a free state. Many
citizens from New Albany and southern Indiana helped Kentucky slaves gain
freedom. Primary sources such as letters, diaries, court testimony records,
artifacts, newspaper articles and runaway slave ads are shown in the exhibit. 10
Henson McIntosh and his wife are listed in the New Albany Black Register. Henson
was a skilled rope maker and was arrested for helping a slave escape. He was
imprisoned at Frankfort, Kentucky, for a total of seven years for his role in the
Underground Railroad.
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When Sarah Lucas applied for freedom papers, she testified she was born to
free black parents in Ohio. She was arrested for helping a runaway slave
escape and served confinement for six months.
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Louis Hartman’s words reveal the frequent
willingness of citizens to help runaway slaves.
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Lucy Bishop was the wife of John Bishop, pastor of Second Presbyterian Church in
New Albany from 1846-1856. Lucy and other women in the church brought concealed
food to the church to feed slaves escaping across the nearby Ohio River.
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Second Presbyterian Church was built in 1849-1850 near the Ohio River in New Albany.
Since 1898 the church has been owned by Baptists and was renamed Second Baptist Church.
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Kathy Wilkerson, a member of the church, tells about its role in
the Underground Railroad providing a secondary source of
information. Her family’s history in the church can be traced
for four generations.
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Safety signals were given from the back of the church to slaves
escaping from Louisville across the Ohio River.
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Slaves were hidden in the church’s basement. Food was
brought to them by church members like Lucy Bishop. An
underground tunnel can still be seen.
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Unknown Heroes
(A Tribute in Carnegie Center)
“Just as each slave story is unique, so are the stories of
those people who aided slaves in their escape to
freedom. Whether they were moved to action from a
deep moral conviction that slavery was wrong, or they
simply responded in an instant when a suffering human
asked for their help, all who participated in the
Underground Railroad were heroes and the history of
New Albany is richer for their actions.”
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Want To Learn More?
• What primary and secondary sources could you use to deepen your
understanding about a topic of interest to you?
• Does evidence of the Underground Railroad exist in your
community? How can you find out?
• Read and research other stories about the Underground Railroad.
Share information with classmates.
• NOTE: School librarians may request a copy of the interactive DVD
about the Underground Railroad shown at Carnegie Center by
sending a request on school stationary with $10.00 to:
The Carnegie Center for Art and History
201 East Spring Street
New Albany, Indiana 47150
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SOURCES
Brochure and Tour Guide compliments of Carnegie Center for Art and
History in New Albany, Indiana
Photographs by Mary Louise Majors
www.carnegiecenter.org
www.crf.nps.gov/ugrr
(National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom)
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Created by Mary Louise Majors
Participant, Lincoln Tri-State Summer Institute
and Life-long Learner
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