With the Civil War having started 150 years ago today, the War of the Rebellion has been in the news and educational media a lot lately.
One such story appears in today's Argus Press, the newspaper of Owosso, Michigan. It looks at how abolitionists helped slaves escape through that community. It notes that two conductors of its Underground Railroad were from Gasport...but then again, maybe not...
One such story appears in today's Argus Press, the newspaper of Owosso, Michigan. It looks at how abolitionists helped slaves escape through that community. It notes that two conductors of its Underground Railroad were from Gasport...but then again, maybe not...
Owosso had a hand in making history during this time, and a house located at 400 W. Main St. served as a “station” for the Underground Railroad before and during the Civil War, according to the book “Owosso, Michigan A to Z” by the late Helen Harrelson, which was published in 1993.
“Stations” were planned stops that included churches, homes or any other safe place for people escaping slavery to hide, the Detroit Opera House website states.
In Harrelson’s book, the local legend relates Chris (Sally) Haller ran Owosso’s Underground Railroad “station” from the house at the northwest corner of Main and John (now Curwood Castle Drive) streets.
But as research by Harrelson showed in her book, the Hallers did not move into the house at the northwest corner of Main and John streets until 1867, which was two years after the Civil War ended.
In fact, the couple did not even move to Owosso from Gasport, N.Y. until 1865, Harrelson’s book states.
Although the Hallers did not run the house as a “station” for people escaping from slavery, the house was a “station,” most likely run by Aaron and Maria Hinckley, who lived in the house before and during the Civil War.
Harrelson states in her book that she met with Clara Marie Sayles, the granddaughter of Chris and Sally Haller, to gather more information on the house at the corner of Main and John streets, and found Sayles’ memory of the house included knowledge of a secret door into the attic that was accessible only by climbing a pear tree at the back of the house.
“Stations” were planned stops that included churches, homes or any other safe place for people escaping slavery to hide, the Detroit Opera House website states.
In Harrelson’s book, the local legend relates Chris (Sally) Haller ran Owosso’s Underground Railroad “station” from the house at the northwest corner of Main and John (now Curwood Castle Drive) streets.
But as research by Harrelson showed in her book, the Hallers did not move into the house at the northwest corner of Main and John streets until 1867, which was two years after the Civil War ended.
In fact, the couple did not even move to Owosso from Gasport, N.Y. until 1865, Harrelson’s book states.
Although the Hallers did not run the house as a “station” for people escaping from slavery, the house was a “station,” most likely run by Aaron and Maria Hinckley, who lived in the house before and during the Civil War.
Harrelson states in her book that she met with Clara Marie Sayles, the granddaughter of Chris and Sally Haller, to gather more information on the house at the corner of Main and John streets, and found Sayles’ memory of the house included knowledge of a secret door into the attic that was accessible only by climbing a pear tree at the back of the house.
Read the entire article here:
http://www.argus-press.com/news/community/owosso/article_a95d38c2-6511-11e0-bc7a-001cc4c002e0.html
