Lanier Township near Gratis in Preble County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Jesse Stubbs

1809 - 1888

— Hall of Honor —

Jesse Stubbs Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Doda, July 23, 2026

1. Jesse Stubbs Marker

Inscription. Jesse Stubbs was a renowned member of the West Elkton community. He worked as a local farmer, estate executor, Justice of the Peace, state representative, and conductor on the Underground Railroad. In fact, in 1858, he purchased the freedom of a freed slave's wife and seven children for $5,062. Under Stubbs's guidance, West Elkton never had a runaway slave captured.

As recorders of Preble County history, PCHS and The Register-Herald are natural partners in co-sponsoring the Hall of Honor.

Inducted into the Hall of Honor September 14, 2025.

Erected 2025 by PCHS; The Register-Herald.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Abolition & Underground RR. A significant historical date for this entry is September 14, 2025.

Location. 39° 39.499′ N, 84° 32.85′ W. Marker is near Gratis, Ohio, in Preble County. It is in Lanier Township. It is at the intersection of Swartsel Road and Ohio Route 122, on the right when traveling south on Swartsel Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7693 Swartsel Road, Eaton OH 45320, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

Ohio’s 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 walking distance of this marker: Solomon Talbert (here, next to this marker); Kenneth J. Garber (here, next to this marker); Paul E. (1914-2007) & Ruth Phelps Fitzwater (1916-2004) (here, next to this marker); Susan Haines Kendall (here, next to this marker); William R. Goodheart, Jr. (here, next to this marker); Diana L. Akers (here, next to this marker); Laura A. Hawes (here, next to this marker); James Edward Quinn (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Gratis.

Also see . . . Preble County played special role in Underground Railroad (Morrow County Sentinel, July 2, 2026). Excerpt:

One of the most notable stories tied to Stubbs occurred in 1858, when he reportedly traveled to Kentucky
Photographed by Craig Doda, July 23, 2026

2. Jesse Stubbs Marker
to secure the freedom of the wife and seven children of Craig Langford, a formerly enslaved man. Historical accounts estimate the effort cost more than $5,000 at the time — the equivalent of nearly $200,000 today — demonstrating what historians describe as an extraordinary moral and financial commitment to the anti-slavery movement.

(Submitted on August 1, 2026.)

Credits. This page was last revised on August 1, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 31, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 11 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 31, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.