How many times have you seen the above title used to describe the UGRR? Too many for me, and they all seem to place the emphasis on the word "loosely".

Just in my own limited study of the UGRR and my personal genealogical research I see what appears to be well organized networks of family, collateral family and community. These networks cross several counties and sections in the State of Ohio, all moving from south to north and even north-easterly.

Thanks to W.H. Siebert and his structured list of county operators within any given State. He of course can't name everyone, or even get into the many family connections. But if one goes beyond those listings and starts to read the interviews of some those operators the County and State lines begin to melt away. Sprinkle in some genealogy and the network becomes "less loosely organized".

We have seen evidence of familial operations moving from Clinton County, Ohio north thru Greene, Clark, Champaign, Logan, Hardin and Hancock County....then north east to Medina County, Ohio. There is even a hint of evidence that this family network extends to Cass and Saginaw counties in Michigan.

A question has been asked on this board about the "shortage" of UGRR history and why. Speaking for myself it is because of the skepticism that is displayed when personal connections are mentioned. No problem when Tubman, Truth, Still, Coffin and some of the other giants are mentioned. The "personal" information is there, but it hasn't been glorified and written about as it is with those mentioned above.

I was hoping this Forum would be a place to discuss and help in those discoveries of "lesser known" operatives whose lives and families faced the same trials, tribulations and penalties as the more famous, but to this point that is not the case.

Well let me stop here before I say more than needs to be said at this point. I'm looking for more stories of the less famous, with suggested documentation that will be supportive of those stories.

Thanks for listening..........Art Thomas