Underground Railroad

Underground Railroad. Lancaster City. , Stephen Smith , William Whipper , Entrepreneurs, philanthropists and Underground Railroad agents, This former right of way of the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad was a critical link in the national anti-slavery movement that by the 1840's became known as "the underground ralroad,” a secret passage to freedom. P&CRR was only the second rallroad in the U.S. Businesses built their own cars and paid fees to couple with state-owned steam engines. These privately-owned passenger and freight cars moved through the City of Lancaster on this corridor by 1834, William Whipper (1804-1876) and Stephen Smith (1796-1873) were prosperous lumber merchants in Columbia, Lancaster County. By 1838, with assistance from Underground Ralroad activist William Wright of Columbia, they modified box cars with a false wall inside at one end. Freedom seekers were concealed behind the partition and reached Philadelphia in about eight hours. By 1840, Black businessman William C. Goodridge of York, PA also used this ingenious secret transport system over the next 20 years in his rail cars in league with Smith and Whipper. Their work was not revealed until 1870. Smith and Whipper were among the wealthiest African Americans in pre-Civil War America, sharing their funds in support of causes to advance civil rights and social equality., Produced with a grant from the African American Historical Society of South Central Pennsylvania and personal contributions from Soclety members; Leroy T. Hopkins, Jr, and Cynthia Renee Lavender, in cooperation with the City of Lancaster. Illustration by Michael Abel, courtesy of Amish Village at Plain and Fancy Farm, Bird-in-Hand, PA. Photographs: Willam Whipper from The Underground Railroad by William Still, 1872; Stephen Smith, from the Charles Blackson Afro American Collection at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA. Research and design: Randolph Harris, consulting historian, Lancaster, PA, November, 2016., Following the North Star, the symbol of the National Underground Raltroad Network to Freedom. In 2010 this historic right of way of the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad between Lancaster and Philadelphia was recognized as an authentic site associated with the Underground Railroad Movement.