This is Paint Creek. Just a peaceful looking country area. But this area is rich with history. Most people know that Paint Creek is a tributary of the Scioto River. And as part of the Scioto, it is also connected to the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, which altogether, acts as a water shed for for over 1100 square miles.
But what is not well-known is the people that traveled this area before us. This specific location is part of the East Fork of Paint Creek, a key part of the Underground Railroad. There were over 3000 miles of the Underground Railroad in Ohio. Although Ohio was a 'free state' meaning it was illegal to own slaves, there were many that still believed in slavery, reported runaway slaves, and helped the slave hunters to capture and return to the South. But Ohio was also home to many abolitionists who led thousands of runaways to Freedom. One such man, Reverend William Dickey, presided over the Bloomingburg Ohio Presbyterian Church. He devoted his life to the anti-slavery cause and was deeply involved in abolitionist activity. By the mid-1800s, his work, as well as the fact that Bloomingburg had become home to a vibrant African American community, led to the town becoming the area center for the Underground Railroad, which helped transport hundreds of fugitive slaves to freedom in the north. As you stand in this area, listen, can you hear the long ago voices? Can you picture the dream of Freedom and how this little creek helped so many?
There are two more GC in this area related to the Underground Railroad. GC6K4AF and GC6K4A2.
Congratulations to boydfamily for FTF!