Gurnee in Lake County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Underground Railroad

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, August 9, 2026

1. Underground Railroad Marker

Inscription. The first African slaves brought to North America arrived in Virginia in the early 17th Century. A secret network of activists was formed to aid escaped slaves obtain freedom. These individuals offered shelter and food to escaped slaves traveling north via rivers and pathways. This system grew and came to be known as the Underground Railroad and was most widely used between 1830 to 1865.

The Underground Railroad was not an actual train that ran underground but a symbolic term given to the secret routes escaped slaves traveled to gain their freedom. Railroad terms were used as code words to identify different elements of the Underground Railroad. A "passenger" was an escaped slave or freedom seeker. "Stations" or "depots" were the haven or stopping places for the traveling freedom seekers. "Conductors" were people who took passengers from one station to the next.

Perhaps as many as 100,000 people escaped slavery by this system of paths, trails and streams. Many slaves stayed in the Free North. Most slaves' ultimate destination was Canada. Some also fled to Mexico and the Caribbean.

Topics. This historical marker

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is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • African Americans. A significant historical year for this entry is 1830.

Location. 42° 22.368′ N, 87° 55.124′ W. Marker is in Gurnee, Illinois, in Lake County. It can be reached from Kilbourne Road north of Old Grand Avenue, on the right when traveling north. The marker is in the ruins of the Mother Rudd Barn. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4690 Old Grand Avenue, Gurnee IL 60031, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Chicago.

It is also in the American Midwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Great Lakes,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 15 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Mother Rudd Barn (here, next to this marker); a different marker also named The Mother Rudd Barn (here, next to this marker); The Journey (here, next to this marker); "Lamp of Liberty" (here,

Mother Rudd Barn ruins image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, August 9, 2026

2. Mother Rudd Barn ruins

Several markers have been erected inside the ruins of this barn, which was used in pre-Civil War times as a stop on the Underground Railroad.

next to this marker); Timeline (a few steps from this marker); Lake County's First African American Settler (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named Timeline (a few steps from this marker); Underground Railroad in Illinois (a few steps from this marker); Esper A. Petersen (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); American Legion Post 771 (approx. 0.2 miles away); Logger's Run (approx. 0.8 miles away); Aquaman Splashdown (approx. 0.8 miles away); DC Super-Villains Swing (approx. 0.8 miles away); Fiddler's Fling (approx. 0.8 miles away); Great America Scenic Railway (approx. 0.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Gurnee.

More about this marker. The marker is one of seven inside the ruins of the Mother Rudd Barn. The barn is just north of the Mother Rudd House, which serves today as the home of the Warren Township Historical Society. There are two other markers in front of the ruins: one about this barn's history as an Underground Railroad stop, and another about Lake County's first African-American settler.

Also see . . . Lake County's Involvement in the Underground Railroad.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, August 9, 2026

3. Mother Rudd Barn ruins

The marker on the left is about the barn's use as a stop on the Underground Railroad; the one on the right is about Lake County's first settler, Amos Bennett. Markers inside the ruins discuss the Underground Railroad.

An interactive map of the Underground Railroad in Lake County, created by the Dunn Museum of Lake County. (Submitted on August 10, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Credits. This page was last revised on August 12, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 10, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 12 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 10, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.