North Murderkill Hundred in Willow Grove in Kent County, Delaware — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Samuel D. Burris

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), November 11, 2019

1. Samuel D. Burris Marker

Inscription. Samuel D. Burris, a free African-American conductor on the Underground Railroad resided in the Willow Grove area during the 1840s. He helped enslaved people find their pathway to freedom in Philadelphia. Caught for aiding and abetting runaway slaves in 1847, Burris was tried and convicted in the Kent County Court of General Sessions. He was imprisoned in accordance with the law and sold into servitude. Purchased with abolitionist funds, he was taken to Philadelphia. The family moved to San Francisco shortly after California was admitted as a free state. He continued to help others gain their freedom by raising funds for the cause until his death in 1863.

Erected 2015 by Delaware Public Archives. (Marker Number KC-118.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • African Americans • Civil Rights • Law Enforcement. In addition, it is included in the Delaware Public Archives series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1847.

Location. 39° 3.599′ N, 75° 38.209′ W. Marker is in Willow Grove, Delaware, in Kent County. It is in North Murderkill

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Hundred. It is at the intersection of Willow Grove Road (Delaware Route 10) and Henry Cowgill Road ( Route 10), on the left when traveling north on Willow Grove Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6361 Willow Grove Rd, Camden Wyoming DE 19934, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Mid-Atlantic,

on the Delmarva Peninsula,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Immigrant Jewish Farmers (approx. 2.7 miles away); Cow Marsh Primitive Baptist Church (approx. 3.3 miles away); Woodside United Methodist Church (approx. 3.8 miles away); North Murderkill Hundred (approx. 4.4 miles away); Thomas' Chapel (approx. 4½ miles away); Felton Railroad Station (approx. 4.7 miles away); Honor and Remember (approx. 4.8

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), November 11, 2019

2. Samuel D. Burris Marker

miles away); Town of Felton (approx. 4.8 miles away).

Samuel D. Burris,<br>Conductor. image. Click for full size.

Internet Archive

3. Samuel D. Burris,
Conductor.

from The Underground Rail Road by William Still, 1872, between pages 718 & 719.

Credits. This page was last revised on May 15, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 11, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 958 times since then and 33 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 11, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3. submitted on October 23, 2022, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland.