It is active and participatory, as the actions we take today to contribute to tomorrow’s history. Every day we have a chance to expand on what we’ve learned as we prepare to leave our mark for a better future for all. This September, join SoIN attractions as they commemorate International Underground Railroad Month.
The Underground Railroad was a network of ordinary people who performed extraordinary feats and helped end slavery in the U.S. Freeing upwards of 100,000 enslaved people, they laid the groundwork for future civil rights movements.
Indiana’s Role in the Underground Railroad
Indiana played a critical role in the quest for freedom for enslaved people who made their way to freedom. It was a free state while Kentucky had legal slavery. Crossing the river from Louisville into Indiana was an important journey on the road to freedom. This didn’t come without complications and great risk.
This September, stop by these Southern Indiana attractions to commemorate the Underground Railroad’s legacy. Many of these activities make excellent educational enhancements for area students.
Events & Exhibits
The Friends of Town Clock Church will offer free tours of the Underground Railroad Town Clock Church on Saturday, September 14, 2024. Tours begin each hour, on the hour beginning at 10 a.m. The last tour begins at 3 p.m. Tours meet at the front of the church located at 300 East Main St. in New Albany and last about one hour. The Town Clock Church was originally known as the Second Presbyterian church and was an important stop for those escaping to freedom. Visit TownClockChurch.org for more information. Learn more about the congregation and city's involvement in the Underground Railroad at the Floyd County Carnegie Library Cultural Arts Center.
Podcast & Blog: The Life of Lucy Higgs Nichols
Read a blog or listen to a podcast about the inspiring life of Lucy Higgs Nichols, a Civil War nurse who escaped enslavement in Tennessee and settled in New Albany. Lucy is featured in an exhibit at the Carnegie Center, as well as honored by a historical plaque and statue at Town Clock Church. The podcast is read by former Carnegie Center for Art & History Director, Dr. Eileen Yanoviak. This podcast is part of Thirty Days of Stories of the Underground Railroad in Kentucky, a podcast series released by The Oldham County History Center on the Oldham Podcast Network in 2020. Click here to listen to the story on SoundCloud.
Carnegie Center's Ongoing Exhibitions
Tour this art gallery with rotating exhibits, family workshops, and permanent exhibits including, "Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage: Men and Women of the Underground Railroad," which tells the story of New Albany's role in the Underground Railroad, and "Remembered: The Life of Lucy Higgs Nichols," an exhibit on one former slave who became a Civil War nurse. See the ongoing exhibitions at the Carnegie Center for Art and History, Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage: Men and Women of the Underground Railroad and Remembered: The Life of Lucy Higgs Nichols.
Walking Tour of African American History Sites
Go on a walking tour of historic sites of African American history in New Albany. Search for “New Albany: African American History” on the Discover Indiana app or visit Discover Indiana. Discover Indiana is a project of the Public History Program at IUPUI, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology, and the Indiana Historical Society. It uses the Omeka+Curatescape platform to distribute interpretive stories about the history, architecture, culture, and people of the state of Indiana on the web.
Clark County Museum
Neighboring Clark County, Indiana, also played a role in the Underground Railroad. Both free black people and white people helped to get enslaved people across the river. Once they arrived in Jeffersonville, they were taken in by abolitionists like Dr. Nathaniel Field and his wife, Sarah. Field’s son, Worden Pope Field, said his father, “hid them in the cellar during the day and sneaked them out at night, into a wagon, and sent them to the next station.” The next stop was often Salem, a Quaker settlement, or Charlestown’s Carver Hill, a free Black settlement. Each stop would provide cover until they crossed into freedom in Canada. Stop by the Clark County Museum in Jeffersonville, Indiana to learn more.
