Zanesville in Muskingum County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

1802

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, June 2, 2025

1. 1802 Marker

Inscription. Slavery is excluded from Ohio by the State Constitutional Convention. Free African Americans may swear legal oaths, testify in the courts, hold public office, perform military service but not vote. Rufus Putnam votes for equality, including the vote while John McIntire votes only to exclude slavery from Ohio.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • African Americans • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1802.

Location. 39° 55.904′ N, 82° 0.405′ W. Marker is in Zanesville, Ohio, in Muskingum County. It can be reached from Putnam Avenue north of Jefferson Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 456 Putnam Ave, Zanesville OH 43701, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Northern Appalachia. 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 walking distance of this marker: 1807 (here, next to this marker); 1801 (here, next to this marker); 1800 (here, next to this marker); 1808 (here, next to this marker); 1814 (here, next to this marker); 1799 (here, next to this marker); 1798 (here, next to this marker); 1817 (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Zanesville.

Also see . . . Ohio Constitution 3 THE SLAVERY DEBATE (YouTube).

Ohio becoming a free state set a precedent for other states.
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Rufus Putnam and Ephraim Cutler fought for the continued prohibition of slavery in the Ohio Constitution.

(Submitted on August 5, 2025, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York.)

Putnam Underground Railroad Interpretive Center image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, June 2, 2025

2. Putnam Underground Railroad Interpretive Center

This marker is part of a series of anti-slavery interpretive markers leading to the ending of the Civil War.

Credits. This page was last revised on September 5, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 5, 2025, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 57 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 5, 2025, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.