Hoosier students will recall the Indiana History curriculum we had in fourth grade. To some the names, dates and places were boring. But it sparked in me a lifelong love of my state and its history. While my classmates idolized sports stars or celebrities the men and women who made Indiana and our nation what it is became my childhood heroes. To be truthful my home state is an interesting place filled with fascinating people and places, both past and present. Let's discover some together.
Levi Coffin Born October 28, 1798
Levi Coffin was an American Quaker, abolitionist, businessman, and humanitarian. A leader in the Underground Railroad in Indiana and Ohio he was given the unofficial title of "President of the Underground Railroad." Three thousand fugitive slaves are believed to have passed through his care. His home in Fountain City, Indiana, is often called the "Grand Central Station" of the Underground Railroad. Coffin began sheltering fugitive slaves in his Indiana home during the winter of 1826–27. Word of Coffin's activities quickly spread throughout the community. Although many had previously been afraid to participate, some of his neighbors joined the effort after seeing his success at avoiding problems. In 1842 the leaders of the Society of Friends, the Quaker group to which Coffin belonged, advised their members to cease membership in abolitionist societies and end activities assisting runaway slaves. The leaders insisted that legal emancipation was the best course of action. Coffin continued to take an active role in assisting escaping slaves and the following year the Quaker society expelled him from membership. In 1863 Coffin became an agent for the Western Freedman's Aid Society, which offered assistance to the slaves who were freed during the war. As Union troops moved into the South, Coffin's group coordinated aid to slaves who had escaped to Union territory and began collecting food and other goods to distribute to former slaves who were now behind the Union lines. After the war Coffin raised more than $100,000 in one year for the Western Freedman's Aid Society to provide food, clothing, money, and other aid to the newly freed slave population in the United States. Coffin died on September 16, 1877 at around 2:30 p.m. at his home in Avondale, Ohio. For more information see the related webpage.
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