Near Union City in Randolph County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Union Literary Institute
By Rev. Ronald Irick, July 3, 2018
1. Union Literary Institute Marker
close up, side A
Union Literary Institute was one
of the first schools to offer higher
education without regard to color
or sex before the Civil War. It was
established in 1846 by a biracial
board, including free blacks from
nearby settlements. At the time,
Indiana laws did not allow blacks to
attend the public schools. Students
labored four hours a day in exchange
for room and board.(Continued on other side)
(Continued from other side)
The school was supported by local
and national donations, including land.
Ebenezer Tucker was the first
teacher, and notable attendees
included Hiram Revels, the first black
U.S. Senator, and James S. Hinton, the
first black elected to the Indiana
House of Representatives. In 1860 a
two-story brick structure was built.
The school was a noted Underground
Railroad stop.
Erected 2016 by Indiana Historical Bureau and Union Literary Institute Preservation Society. (Marker Number IHB 68.201.)
Location. 40° 4.691′ N, 84° 48.952′
By Rev. Ronald Irick, July 3, 2018
2. Union Literary Institute Marker
close up, side B
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 10 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Benjamin Williams (approx. 0.8 miles away in Ohio); Palestine Veterans Memorial (approx. 4.2 miles away in Ohio); George Stephens (approx. 4.8 miles away in Ohio); Tecumseh / Shawnee Prophet's Town (approx. 9.1 miles away in Ohio); Fort Jefferson (approx. 9.2 miles away in Ohio); Fort Jefferson: A Link in a Chain (approx. 9.2 miles away in Ohio); Fort Jefferson / St. Clair’s Defeat (approx. 9.2 miles away in Ohio); a different marker also named Fort Jefferson (approx. 9.2 miles away in Ohio).
Additional keywords. Underground Railroad
Categories. • Abolition & Underground RR • African Americans • Education •
By Rev. Ronald Irick, July 3, 2018
3. Union Literary Institute Marker
full view, looking west into Indiana
By Rev. Ronald Irick, July 3, 2018
4. Union Literary Institute Marker
full view, looking east into Ohio
By Rev. Ronald Irick, July 3, 2018
5. Union Literary Institute Marker
the marker and the schoolhouse
By Rev. Ronald Irick, July 3, 2018
6. Union Literary Institute Marker
the old brick schoolhouse
More. Search the internet for Union Literary Institute.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 15, 2019. This page originally submitted on July 3, 2018, by Rev. Ronald Irick of West Liberty, Ohio. This page has been viewed 114 times since then and 67 times this year. Last updated on September 14, 2019, by Daniel Eisenberg of Boca Raton, Florida. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on July 3, 2018, by Rev. Ronald Irick of West Liberty, Ohio. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
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