Heaven & Peterboro

Heaven and Peterboro. . ”There are yet two places where slaveholder cannot come, Heaven and Peterboro,” -concluded black antislavery radical Henry Highland Garnet in a letter to Frederick Douglass which Douglass printed on the front page of The North Star December 8, 1848., Peterboro’s acceptance of ethnic diversity, combined with Smith’s wealth and influence, created a safe haven for fugitives from slavery., The brand of slavery developed in the United States was probably the most brutal in world history. Slaves were chattel property with no hope of freedom. They were shackled to a “peculiar institution” that dulled their minds with institutional ignorance and punished any resistance with mutual torture and physical anguish. The motivating power of freedom made them ready to graduate from slavery with diplomas written in scars on their backs. Although some northern states abolished slavery in the 1700s, New York State did not abolish until 1827., To Seek a Haven from Slavery, Many escapees from slavery lived out their lives in Peterboro. Several tombstones in the Peterboro Cemetery read , “Born a slave. Died a freeman.” , Born a slave. Died a freed woman., John “Dominic” West , John West was born a slave on December 25, 1816 in Maryland. He came north on the Underground Railroad in 1853 and maintained his grocery store on the grounds of the Gerrit Smith Estate. He was called “The Dominie” at the Free Church of Peterboro because of his beautiful singing voice. West died on his birthday, Christmas Day, 1868. His gravestone in the Peterboro Cemetery reads: Deformed in Body but Beautiful in Spirit., Hanson Williams , Hanson Williams was born a slave in Maryland in 1841 and came to Peterboro by way of the Underground Railroad. He was educated in the Peterboro school, and enlisted in a white regiment, the 22nd New York Cavalry, where he attained the rank of Corporal., Williams was employed as Gerrit Smith Miller’s foreman for 25 years. Miller credited him with the success of his famous Holstein herd in the show ring as well as in production., Williams frequently represented the Town of Smithfield at District and County Conventions., William “Billy” Smith , William was born into slavery near Richmond VA. During the Civil War Smith was left in charge of Confederate cavalry horses and was “ captured” by Captain Aaron Bliss, Peterboro native and member of the 10th NY Cavalry, Billy became Bliss’ camp servant and after the war, made his way to Peterboro on horseback., In Peterboro, Smith worked for the Bliss family as a farmhand and later for the Smiths and Millers. Smith played a banjo for dances all over Madison County. He “would set his banjo aside, pick up a tambourine and ‘thump out a rhythm’ to the square dance call.”, Smith died a widower on August 27, 1923. He is buried in the Peterboro Cemetery., (captions) , Left to right: Charles Smith, William Tucker, Sadie Tucker, Eva Ralph, and Malvina Russell., Smith played his banjo at dances around the county., William Smith's descendent Alden Max Smith sings for the Induction of Harriet Tubman for the National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum in Peterboro in 2005.