Riley Township in Vickery in Sandusky County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
The Underground Railroad
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Escaping Slavery In North Central Ohio
Historic Underground Railroad Site
Photographed by Joel Seewald, July 16, 2026
1. The Underground Railroad Marker (side 1)
The Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was neither underground nor a railroad, but a system of loosely connected safe havens where those escaping the brutal conditions of slavery were sheltered, fed, clothed, nursed, concealed, disguised, and instructed during their journey to freedom. Although this movement was one of America's greatest social, moral, and humanitarian endeavors, the details about it were often cloaked in secrecy to protect those involved from the retribution of civil law and slave-catchers. Ohio's history has been permanently shaped by the thousands of runaway slaves passing through or finding permanent residence in this state.
Escaping Slavery In North Central Ohio
Having fled the brutality of bondage, enslaved people were terrified of betrayal and capture by slave catchers. They found themselves north in an uncertain and dangerous environment. The sparse population and geography of counties, Wyandot, Crawford, Seneca, Huron, Sandusky, Erie, and Ottawa, helped alleviate some worry. The numerous villages, Native American missions and waysides were located seven to ten miles apart—the
this page online
Local lore tells of an escaped slave woman and her child found hiding in a shed on the farm of Loomis Ames. He attempted to take them into his house, but they suspiciously cringed in a corner. refusing to leave. The woman wore no shoes and had only a few possessions in a cloth bag. Loomis and his wife left plates of food until finally she was enticed from her hiding place. The Ames family hired her as their housekeeper, and she remained in Clyde for the rest of her life. Elizabeth "Lizzie" Anderson died February 11, 1911 and is the only former slave buried in Clyde's McPherson Cemetery.
Erected by Ohio Turnpike and Infrastucture Commission, and The Friends of Freedom Society.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • African Americans. A significant historical date for this entry is February 11, 1911.
Location. 41° 22.09′ N,
Photographed by Joel Seewald, July 16, 2026
2. Escaping Slavery In North Central Ohio Marker (side 2)
Regionally, this marker is on the Lake Erie Shore and in the Toledo Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. 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 Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: A different marker also named The Underground Railroad / Escaping Slavery In North Central Ohio (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Blue Heron Reserve (approx. 2.4 miles away); Walnut Trees
Photographed by Joel Seewald, July 16, 2026
3. The Underground Railroad / Escaping Slavery In North Central Ohio Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on September 16, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 16, 2026, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 5 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 16, 2026, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.
