Underground Railroad River-To-Lake Freedom Trail

The Ohio Department of Transportation recently designated portions of U.S. Route 23 and State Route 4 (known as the River-To-Lake Freedom Trail) as a commemorative highway memorializing one of the most frequently used corridors on the Underground Railroad.

The River-To-Lake Freedom Trail generally follows the present day alignment of U.S. 23 from Portsmouth, along the Ohio River, through central Ohio. North of Marion County the trail follows SR 4 to Sandusky on Lake Erie.

Background:
Ohio has an extensive network of trails that the Underground Railroad (UGRR) used as a “transportation system” for anti-slavery activists, free Blacks and churches that helped fugitive slaves flee from the South to Canada. In the 19th century, Ohio had one of the most active UGRR operations in the nation.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater bestowed a federal “Millennial Trails” designation to Ohio’s network of escape routes for runaway slaves in 2000. ODOT took the designation one step further and named the River-To-Lake Freedom Trail a commemorative highway.

The highway will feature 10 brass historic markers (right) made in Marietta, Ohio by the Sewah Foundry. Each historic marker contains text that details the significance of the neighboring community and the contributions of local UGRR conductors. Local historians, the Friends of Freedom Society and the State of Ohio Historic Preservation Office collaborated in the research, writing and authentication of the specific historic texts.

The Capitol Square Review Advisory Board, Shawnee State University, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the City of Delaware, the City of Circleville, the Ohio Bicentennial Commission, the City of Sandusky, Bucyrus, Lyme Village and Omar Chappel also assisted in facilitating or donating locations for the River-To-Lake Freedom Trail markers.
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ODOT’s Role:
ODOT paid for the historic markers and donated the right of way under its control for the markers at safe and tourist-friendly locations. The cost was about $15,500. ODOT also helped secure all other sites that were donated by other parties and coordinated with the site owners.

Locations:
• Scioto County – US 23/SR 52 Intersection – “The Crossing at Scioto County” (Shawnee State University donated the site).
• Ross County – Scioto Trails State Park – “Ross County Underground Railroad” (Ohio Department of Natural Resources donated the site).
• Pickaway County – Moore House – “The Underground Railroad in Pickaway County” (The City of Circleville donated the site).
• Franklin County – Statehouse – “Black Conductors of Columbus” (Capital Square Review Advisory Board donated the site).
• Delaware County – Bikeway paralleling US 23 north, just north of William Street – “Delaware County: Antislavery Stronghold” (The City of Delaware donated the site).
• Marion County – Rest area just south of Marion on US 23 – “The Marion County Trail of Bill Anderson” (ODOT donated the site).
• Crawford County – SR 4 in Millennium Park at Washington Square – “The Underground Railroad in Crawford County” (The City of Bucyrus donated the site).
• Seneca County – SR 4, south of SR 162 – “The Underground Railroad at Omar Inn and Omar Chapel of Seneca County” (The Village of Omar donated the site).
• Huron County – Southwest of SR 4/SR 113 Intersection – “The Underground Railroad in Lyme Township, Huron County” (The Historic Lyme Village donated the site).
• Erie County – Shoreline Park, Sandusky – “Abolition Boats Provide an Escape to Freedom in Erie County” (The City of Sandusky donated the site).

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For more information contact Lindsay Mendicino at 644-6584.