Rushville in Fairfield County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
The Underground Railroad in Rushville
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Joseph Selby and Darling Nelly Gray
Photographed by Matthew Schweitzer, January 19, 2026
1. The Underground Railroad in Rushville side of the marker
The Underground Railroad in Rushville. Rushville was known as an important stop on the Underground Railroad in Ohio. Many fugitive slaves fled North to Canada while relying on a network of secret safe houses along the way. Several of these stations were known to exist in Rushville. Abolitionists Bishop William Hanby and Dr. Simon Hyde helped numerous individuals escape while hiding them in their Rushville homes. Hanbys son, composer Benjamin Russell Hanby, would later write several popular anti-slavery songs including Darling Nelly Gray, Ole Shady, and Little Tillies Grave. Dr. Hyde was a passionate abolitionist who dedicated his life to helping these individuals and to providing medical care for those who became sick and injured on their way to freedom.
Joseph Selby and Darling Nelly Gray. Some freedom seekers did not live to complete their journey north. At least eight are known to have died and to be buried just south of the village in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery. One of those was Joseph Selby from Kentucky who spent time in the Hanby home in Rushville during his escape along the Underground Railroad. After imparting
this page online
Erected 2025 by Ohio Historical Society; sponsored by Friends of Freedom Society, Inc., Fairfield County Foundation, Fairfield County Heritage Association and South Central Power.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music • Cemeteries & Burial Sites. A significant historical year for this entry is 1856.
Location. 39° 45.863′ N, 82° 25.9′ W. Marker is in Rushville, Ohio, in Fairfield County. It is on Market Street (Ohio Route 664) just south of Main Street, on the right when traveling north. This marker stands on the Rushville Town Square. Touch for map. Marker is at or
Photographed by Matthew Schweitzer, January 19, 2026
2. Joe Selby and Darling Nelly Gray side of the marker
Regionally, this marker is in the Hocking Hills and in the Columbus Metropolitan Area. 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 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Joe Selby (approx. 0.4 miles away); Formerly Enslaved People (approx. 0.4 miles away); Bremen World Wars Memorial (approx. 4.2 miles away); Wesley Chapel (approx. 4.2 miles away); Bremen Oil Boom (approx. 4.3 miles away); First Mass in Ohio (approx. 4.9 miles away); Randolph Mitchell House / Reading Township, Perry County (approx. 5.2 miles away); Opal C. [nee Hatlestad] Kistler (approx. 5.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Rushville.
Photographed by Craig Doda, March 13, 2026
3. The Underground Railroad in Rushville / Joseph Selby and Darling Nelly Gray Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on March 31, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 19, 2026, by Matthew Schweitzer of Rushville, Ohio. This page has been viewed 67 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 19, 2026, by Matthew Schweitzer of Rushville, Ohio. 3. submitted on March 22, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. A wide shot of the marker in context. • Can you help?
