Jackson Train Station

Jackson Train Station. . The Final Ride to Midnight, This property originally a freight depot offered a rail ride to freedom on the fastest transportation possible, but it came with a cost. Imagine hiding among the cargo knowing that if you're found you could be arrested and sent back to slavery, or worse., Jackson's freight depot (and original passenger depot 1 1/2 blocks west of here) formed a freedom corridor that enabled many freedom seekers to successfully escape to Detroit and Canada, the ultimate land of freedom. Today, Jackson's rail's legacy is memorialized by this building, the oldest continually operating train station in the country, Jackson - Hub of the Underground Railroad, During the decades leading up to the American Civil War, Jackson, Michigan was both hub and haven for thousands of slaves escaping through a human network Underground Railroad. The ultimate destination (usually Canada) for slaves on the route varied by slave and guide, but it was always considered "the land of freedom" and was sought by slaves one night, one mile, and one act of kindness at a time., Several community leaders and families in Jackson secretly housed, clothed, fed and reassured runaways, while others supportive of the business of slavery openly hunted and punished escaped slaves or anyone aiding their flight. Some northerners went so far as to capture the runaways and return them to servitude. Not every slave on the Underground Railroad escaped.