The Underground Railroad and geocaching are a perfect fit. We want geocachers to follow the route of freedom seeking slaves who traveled the secret trail and found refuge with Station Masters as they made their way north. Gary Jenkins and I have combined our talents at historical research and geocaching to create a series of caches along this clandestine "underground railroad" path.
The Kansas - Nebraska Bill passed by Congress on May 30, 1854, was the impetus which turned Kansas into bleeding Kansas. Pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces merged upon the state to promote their causes and insure the popular decision in their own favor. At Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in May, 1856, a train of six covered wagons, each drawn by two yoke of oxen, started the long trek to join those who were coming from the North and East to insure another free state for the union. They were financed by the Kansas Society of Milwaukee which was headed by E. D. Holton, who had raised several hundred dollars for the expedition. E. G. Ross, later senator from Kansas, was the captain of the band, with six in his family. Others were the J. B. Coffin family of four, J. B. Hutte family of four, Mr. Lathrop and family of six, six unmarried men and eight unidentified persons. At Janesville, Wisconsin, they were joined by the Andrew Smith family of five, Mr. Lyme's party of five, another family of Ross consisting of five, making a party of forty-nine persons. They met General James H. Lane with two hundred men at Nebraska City, Nebraska, a rendezvous for Free State men. They followed the Jim Lane Road into Kansas approximately thirty miles. They came to Elk Creek, 2 1/2 miles west of Holton, where they cut timbers to make a bridge, crossed it and made camp where Central School now stands, between 4th and 5th, New Jersey and Ohio Streets. A log house 20 by 20 feet (6.1 m × 6.1 m) was erected; it was so planned that it could be used for a fort and was known as Jim Lane Fort. They named the new town honoring Mr. Holton, the Milwaukee abolitionist, whose only visit to Holton was in 1880 with his wife and son. He died at Savannah, Georgia, in 1892 leaving a $2,000 bequest to Holton.
The Underground Railroad route north from Topeka and Lawrence passed through Holton. Along Highway 75, about 7 miles north of Holton, a Kansas Historical marker marks the site of the most famous story of the Western Underground Railroad. This sign is about .75 miles south of the actual site along Spring Creek. Abolitionist John Brown had liberated 11 slaves from Missouri farms in Bates County. On their path to Canada, they passed though Holton on January 28, 1859, after resupplying in Topeka. They elected to spend the night at Dr. Albert Fuller's cabin along Spring Creek. A posse of about 75 Missourians caught up with them and blocked the path north. Brown sent a runner back to Topeka and a few reinforcements responded. Still outnumbered by over 2-1, Brown and his men charged the Missourians (this exact battle was about Waypoint = N39 34.564 W95 43.925) A newspaperman nicknamed this the Battle of the Spurs because the only weapon used was the Missourians spurring their horses to escape Brown's charge. Brown and his group travelled to Canada and left the Freedom Seekers as free persons.
This was Brown’s last exit from Kansas as he was later hanged for his actions at Harper’s Ferry.
The Kansas - Nebraska Bill passed by Congress on May 30, 1854, was the impetus which turned Kansas into bleeding Kansas. Pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces merged upon the state to promote their causes and insure the popular decision in their own favor. At Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in May, 1856, a train of six covered wagons, each drawn by two yoke of oxen, started the long trek to join those who were coming from the North and East to insure another free state for the union. They were financed by the Kansas Society of Milwaukee which was headed by E. D. Holton, who had raised several hundred dollars for the expedition. E. G. Ross, later senator from Kansas, was the captain of the band, with six in his family. Others were the J. B. Coffin family of four, J. B. Hutte family of four, Mr. Lathrop and family of six, six unmarried men and eight unidentified persons. At Janesville, Wisconsin, they were joined by the Andrew Smith family of five, Mr. Lyme's party of five, another family of Ross consisting of five, making a party of forty-nine persons. They met General James H. Lane with two hundred men at Nebraska City, Nebraska, a rendezvous for Free State men. They followed the Jim Lane Road into Kansas approximately thirty miles. They came to Elk Creek, 2 1/2 miles west of Holton, where they cut timbers to make a bridge, crossed it and made camp where Central School now stands, between 4th and 5th, New Jersey and Ohio Streets. A log house 20 by 20 feet (6.1 m × 6.1 m) was erected; it was so planned that it could be used for a fort and was known as Jim Lane Fort. They named the new town honoring Mr. Holton, the Milwaukee abolitionist, whose only visit to Holton was in 1880 with his wife and son. He died at Savannah, Georgia, in 1892 leaving a $2,000 bequest to Holton.
The Underground Railroad route north from Topeka and Lawrence passed through Holton. Along Highway 75, about 7 miles north of Holton, a Kansas Historical marker marks the site of the most famous story of the Western Underground Railroad. This sign is about .75 miles south of the actual site along Spring Creek. Abolitionist John Brown had liberated 11 slaves from Missouri farms in Bates County. On their path to Canada, they passed though Holton on January 28, 1859, after resupplying in Topeka. They elected to spend the night at Dr. Albert Fuller's cabin along Spring Creek. A posse of about 75 Missourians caught up with them and blocked the path north. Brown sent a runner back to Topeka and a few reinforcements responded. Still outnumbered by over 2-1, Brown and his men charged the Missourians (this exact battle was about Waypoint = N39 34.564 W95 43.925) A newspaperman nicknamed this the Battle of the Spurs because the only weapon used was the Missourians spurring their horses to escape Brown's charge. Brown and his group travelled to Canada and left the Freedom Seekers as free persons.
This was Brown’s last exit from Kansas as he was later hanged for his actions at Harper’s Ferry.