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“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Huron in Erie County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
 

The Wright House and the Underground Railroad/Old Main Street

 
 
The Wright House and the Underground Railroad Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Jamie Abel, April 17, 2011
1. The Wright House and the Underground Railroad Marker
Inscription.
The Wright House and the Underground Railroad
In the early 1800s, Jabez Wright, an early Huron County judge, purchased a large tract of lakeside land on the north side of what is now Cleveland Road. There Wright built an eight-room farmhouse that later served as a "station" on the fabled Underground Railroad, playing a vital role in aiding fugitive African-American slaves to freedom. Beneath Wright's farmhouse was a sixteen foot-wide and ninety foot-long tunnel. Escaped slaves entered the passage through a trap door in the home's basement and exited into a corn crib located a mere one hundred feet from Lake Erie. There the slaves awaited the arrival of rowboats transporting them to vessels heading north to Canada.

Old Main Street
After the passage of the Federal Housing Act of 1949, a concerted, nationwide effort toward modernizing aging urban areas began. As a part of this trend, the city of Huron began demolition of 38 buildings along Main Street in 1969. Completed in 1975, the federally subsidized Huron urban-renewal project reshaped much of the community's downtown, adding the modern-day boat basin. Structures removed included the Harbor Inn, the Huron Dairy, and the Vermillion Rubber Company, along with many residential buildings. Throughout the course of the undertaking, many citizens opposed
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the alteration of Main Street. The project was carried through, however, and the boat basin is the centerpiece of downtown Huron today.
 
Erected 1999 by Huron County Schools, Sandusky/Erie County Foundation, and the Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 11-22.)
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RRCharity & Public WorkIndustry & CommerceWaterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1949.
 
Location. 41° 23.673′ N, 82° 33.257′ W. Marker is in Huron, Ohio, in Erie County. Marker is at the intersection of Cleveland Road West and Main Street when traveling east on Cleveland Road West. The marker stands next to a parking lot east of the corner of Cleveland Road West and Main Street. The parking lot sits along the north side of a public amphitheater on the boat basin in downtown Huron. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Huron OH 44839, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Legacy of the Huron Docks (within shouting distance of this marker); The War of 1812 (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named The Legacy of the Huron Docks
Old Main Street Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Jamie Abel, April 17, 2011
2. Old Main Street Marker
(approx. 0.2 miles away); John Baptiste Flemmond (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Huron Playhouse (approx. ¼ mile away); World War II (approx. ¼ mile away); Huron / Erie County (approx. ¼ mile away); Christ Episcopal Church (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Huron.
 
The Wright House and the Underground Railroad/Old Main Street Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Jamie Abel, April 17, 2011
3. The Wright House and the Underground Railroad/Old Main Street Marker
The downtown Huron boat basin can be seen in the background. The public amphitheater is just to the right.
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on April 18, 2011, by Jamie Abel of Westerville, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,468 times since then and 33 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3. submitted on April 18, 2011, by Jamie Abel of Westerville, Ohio. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 19, 2024