Delta in Fulton County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
John King and King Family Cemetery
Photographed by Craig Doda, March 28, 2020
1. John King and King Family Cemetery Marker
The Kings, a family of staunch Presbyterians, were active in the Underground Railroad. From 1838 to the end of the Civil War, here, at the John King Farm, a network of extended families operated an Underground Railroad Station. Following the ridges (now Ridge Road) through the Great Black Swamp, fugitive slaves were delivered from Henry County to the King Farm in Fulton County. The farm was located on the overland route from Ohio to Michigan that passed through the swamp to the Detroit River, Lake St. Clair, and then into Canada.
In 1848, John's brother, Reverend William King, brought fifteen enslaved people whom he had freed to live on the King homestead. They learned northern agricultural methods, received wages for the first time, and prepared for a life of freedom. The family risked severe penalties by instructing them to read and write along with the King children. This group was the nucleus of the Buxton Mission founded by Reverend King in Canada that became a destination for freedom seekers making a new life in a free country.
The family burial ground, established in 1838-1839, includes a memorial stone honoring William who is buried in Canada. Some headstones were removed when the road was widened, some graves are unmarked, and some inscriptions on grave markers are unreadable. Families
this page online
Naomi R. Bayer Twining; Historian, Memorial Coordinator
Erected by National Underground Railroad Network To Freedom.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • African Americans • Cemeteries & Burial Sites. In addition, it is included in the Network to Freedom series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1838.
Location. 41° 33.539′ N, 84° 0.093′ W. Marker is in Delta, Ohio, in Fulton County. It is on Ohio Route 109 just south of County Road F, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5939 Route 109, Delta OH 43515, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Ohio’s Black Swamp and in the Till Plains. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: International Underground Railroad Monument (here, next to this marker); Reverend William King (here, next to this marker); Wabash Cannonball Trail (approx. Ό mile away); Delta Unknown Dead Memorial (approx. 1.3 miles away); Delta World War II Memorial (approx. 1.3 miles away); Delta Korean War Memorial
Photographed by Craig Doda, March 28, 2020
2. John King and King Family Cemetery Marker
Another marker is no longer nearby. "Toll Gate On Plank Road" (was approx. 1.1 miles away but has been permanently removed).
Photographed by Craig Doda, March 28, 2020
3. John King and King Family Cemetery Marker
Photographed by Craig Doda, April 27, 2016
4. John King and King Family Cemetery Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on July 8, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 27, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 878 times since then and 70 times this year. Last updated on July 7, 2023, by Carl Gordon Moore Jr. of North East, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 27, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
