Research Means Connecting with Old Friends and Strangers

 

Snipped from mapsquest

One thing I never expected in doing all this research, was that I'd be connecting with the neighbourhood kids I grew up.

Yesterday, I shared memories with Paul. He used to play in the house next door that was used in the underground railroad. I learned the house was also a place for bands to come and the locals would dance. He's pretty certain his grandfather played his banjo there. 

Paul said there was a player piano. He could never get it to work. He also found an old black drumstick. He searched for its mate, but never found it. There were places you avoided in the house because of copperheads.

This morning, I called his sister, Rosemary. She and I shared memories and laughed. From her, I learned she knew how to make the piano work, and at one point - stole some of the music. LOL

Her mother had told her that a picket fence ran along the road before you get to the dip. The abolitionists who owned the house next door, would hang quilts on it. It was a signal to the runaways that this was a safe house.

In the kitchen, under the table, was a trap door to the cellar. That's where the runaways were kept till it was time to move on. A question that has plagued me is about the tunnel. She's pretty good idea where it comes out on the hill. There are two choices: 1. To the right of where the current residents have built a pond. 2. The mine. From there, she said they could see what was going on and know what to do.

She called me a short bit later with more info. She had contacted her son and told him what I was up to. He wants me to write a book, when I'm done, about his grandfather, Harold. I'm looking forward to seeing what info he has.

Rosemary gave me excellent referrals who should know a good bit about the area. I'm looking forward to making more calls come Monday.

Oh! And another surprise happened at Walmart today. I finally came across Anita. Anita is a descendent of Jane Lee. Sadly, she had no stories to relay about Jane. But! I did learn that a book had been written that contained Meigs history and stories of the underground. And sadly, it burned in a fire. Perhaps somewhere out there is a copy of that book!

Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to a day off from research tomorrow. It really helps taking a full day away. When you go back to look at notes, some things become clear and more questions come to light.