The basement of the four-story building, once a sanatorium and now the Enos Apartments, would have been among your escape routes. Historians say it was part of the Underground Railroad; a tunnel in the basement was a coal shed where escaped slaves hid.
The Underground Railroad was an organized network of safe houses and secret routes used by freedom seekers to escape from the pro-slave Southern states and into the abolitionist northern states of the U.S. and into Eastern Canada. During the early 16th century, many enslaved Africans and African Americans escaped slavery, many of their escapes were unguided and unassisted. In the 1780s, Abolitionist Societies in the North helped organized and began to establish the network of safe houses commonly known as the Underground Railroad. The network ran north and gradually expanded until President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. The runaways sought out to escape into the free states and would potentially venture into Canada afterwards.
The routes followed along natural and man-made trails and roads for transportation: rivers, canals, bays, the Atlantic Coast, ferries and river crossings. The network was aided by abolitionists and others supportive to the cause of helping the escapees. The abolitionists were referred to as the conductors of the Railroad and the enslaved runaways were referred as passengers. Illinois played a role in the Underground Railroad with its network system of safe paths and routes for escaped slaves seeking safe passage. This important piece of history is why lawmakers are aggressively trying to preserve sites connected to the Railroad. If you’re in the area of these locations, make a plan to visit, immerse yourself and learn about these historic sites.
Suburban Chicago
Blanchard Hall – Wheaton
During the Civil War, Blanchard Hall was a stop on the Underground Railroad, sheltering runaway slaves on their trail to freedom. Blanchard Hall’s castle-like architecture was constructed to resemble buildings at Oxford University, which Dr. Jonathan Blanchard admired on a trip to England in 1843. The building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Graue Mill and Museum – Oak Brook
The mill was used by Fred Graue in helping runaway slaves to their journey to Canada. The mill was a major focus of an economic boom during the 19th century. President Abraham Lincoln once visited the Graue Mill during his trip from Chicago to Springfield. Frederick Graue and his son, William Graue, worked the mill for 70 years until the old mill became obsolete and the building was abandoned after operations.
The Sheldon Peck Homestead – Lombard
This 1840s farmhouse features replicas of Sheldon Peck’s folk paintings, an exhibition on the area’s first school, the Underground Railroad, and a pioneer life. The Sheldon Peck Homestead is part of the National Parks Service Network to Freedom, a verified stop on the Underground Railroad.
Central Illinois
Owen Lovejoy Homestead – Princeton
Part of the Underground Railroad, rooms are furnished with furniture from the era and visitors can see into the hidden area above the stairs, where the runaway slaves hid during patrols. The 1849 Colton One-Room Schoolhouse is behind the house. Located on East Peru Street, about a half mile from downtown Princeton.
Rocky Fork Church & Enos Apartments – Alton
Alton’s riverfront location along the Mississippi river played a fundamental role in helping runaway slaves make connections to the railroad of the northern states. Buried underneath the streets of Alton and Godfrey, there are some historic relics of this period that still exist. The tour guide features shuttle tours that will stop at some of the sites that were part of the Underground Railroad system like Rocky Fork Church, Enos Apartments, and more.
Woodlawn Farm – Jacksonville
This farm was constructed in 1824 by Michael Huffaker. He built four cabins for free Black families and would later hide fleeing slaves in there. The former Underground Railroad site now operates as a living museum with seasonal tours and some educational programs on abolition era rural life.
There are more underground railroad sites to visit throughout the rest of Illinois. Make sure check out to those locations as well. You owe it to yourself to learn more about the Underground Railway during summer, Illinois wasn’t always a welcoming place…we have come a long way since then.
For more information about the Underground Railroad locations, please visit: enjoyillinois.com.
