Valley Girl Views: LCITCW 1937 - The Underground Railroad In Williamsport

The Slavery Sentiment
& The Underground Railroad, In Lycoming County Pa

Taken from a 1934 Thesis written by Edward Larue Bierce
For The Pennsylvania State College Graduate School

[With added photos ]

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Chapter I

Sentiment & Support 1852-1865

Slavery sentiment was fairly well divided in Lycoming County a decade before the civil war period the Lycoming Gazette a weekly paper in Williamsport, was the democratic mouthpiece against the actions of the abolitionists. The tone of its protests can be judged by the following editorial, that appeared on May 19th, 1852:

"The anti slavery convention held at Rochester, adjourned sine die, on the 14th instant, after passing and promulgating resolutions against the fugitive slave law and colonization societies. The speeches were as fanatical, blasphemous and treasonable as their orators knew how to make, and were received with approbation by the concourse of zealots drawn together on the occasion."

The answer of the anti slavery people in my coming county was the same as in almost all of the northern states; The rendering of aid to fugitive slaves by means of the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad was not a route, but a network a conspiracy of thousands of people banded together for the purpose of helping slaves secure their freedom. The slaves, mainly in the border states, somehow learned that if they once crossed into the free states they would find friends who would forward them from place to place, until they were free from pursuit or safe in Canada. The Underground Railroad was manned chiefly by orderly citizens members of churches, and philanthropical societies.

1861 Map Of Lycoming County

By furnishing food and shelter as well as advice to fugitives, it as possible for many of them to make their successful escape to Canada. The most favored routes of the network were through Pennsylvania and Ohio. The houses where aid and shelter were given were known as 'stations', those in charge of the stations as 'agents' those directly assisting as 'conductors' and those contributing money, clothing, etc as 'stockholders.'

Williamsport was one of the stations on the Underground Railroad. Thomas Updegraff was for many years “ agent “ at this station it was ably assisted by his son, Abraham. The station was located in what was known as “ Niger Hollow “ in the northern part of the city and the runaways were generally secreted in the house of David and Philip Rodrick although there were other houses in the immediate vicinity which were used for the same purpose.

1854 View Of Williamsport, showing the canal

Many fugitives entered the West Branch valley on the packet boats. They were taken from the boats at the port of Williamsport, at the old exchange hotel on Market Street and secreted in the nearby barn of Thomas Updegraff in Black Horse alley. At night the runaways were conducted to the cabins of the colored people in “Nigger Hollow” and there concealed until the darkness of another night made it safe to resume their journey to Trout Run. At this place they were stowed in the baggage cars of the Williamsport-Elmira railroad and transported north to freedom and safety in Canada.

More about Robert Faries, & His Castle In Williamsport

Robert Faries, the Superintendent of the railroad, was a Williamsporter and an ardent abolitionist. He so skillfully handled the fugitives placed in his care that Williamsport could boast of never having lost a passenger and no slave was ever reclaimed after reaching safety by this route.

Sometimes the runaways left the packets at Hall’s Landing and made their way to Pennsdale, the home of a settlement of Quakers. In the village where several well-known stations on the overland route. Wolf run house, the House of William Haines, was a well-known stopping place and another was the Old Bulls Head Tavern, the home of Edward Norris. A cubbyhole with a sliding panel in the head of one of its many stairways, where the runaway slaves were concealed, can still be seen today. Henry warner was also a firm friend of the negroes. These men reasoned that it was not only wrong to keep slaves but that the colored people never ran away from a good master.

The Pennsdale Meeting House

About this time a superstition grew among the country folk near the village that the region near the old Quaker meeting house was haunted. On earthly grounds and moanings were sometimes heard late in the night near the old Quaker burying ground. Late travelers hurried past or took another route. After the slaves were freed the friends explained the story of the haunt.

A sheep pasture joined the old burial ground and one night a greedy sheep reached through the fence for attempting bite just beyond its reach. Its head caught in the bars and the animal groaned and moaned while attempting its release. A superstitious country lad was passing at the time and hearing the noise immediately thought of “hants” and took to his heels. This was the point at which the Quakers assembled the slaves before they started them on their journey over the Genesee Rd. to Elklands New York and Canada. Any superstition which kept people off this part of the road was welcomed at this time period so they did not explain the haunt until after the slaves been given their freedom.

Many runaways came up the Susquehanna trail for one reason or another and sought refuge among the farmers along the road and at Montoursville. This village was a hotbed of abolitionists and many a hungry runaway found a good breakfast and concealment for the day in the town.

People in Lycoming County were not unfamiliar with the site of masters and overseers searching for runaways. In one case the female slave was walking along state street in Williamsport. The street paralleled the canal and it happened that her master and overseer were coming in on the evening packet and saw her period the master started to chase her up Jefferson street, but she finally eluded him and hid in Woodward's barn. The abolitionists removed her safely to “Nigger Hollow until it was dark and then sent her on to trout run.

In another case a government official in Williamsport received word from Pottsville that five fugitives were headed towards the city and that it should be ready to apprehend and detain them until the proper officials could arrive with the necessary papers. This officer had no heart for slave catching and managed to secretly lay his dispatch on the desk of an abolitionist. As a result the fugitives were on their way to Canada by the time the officials reached Williamsport.

It would seem from the following article in the Muncie luminary May 14th 1861, that after the war started the runaways came in increasing numbers and with increasing boldness:

A party of 12 or 15 seceders (runaway slaves) from Maryland or Virginia, we did not learn which, were encamped in camped in the woods near MuncyRailroad Depot, one night last week. They reported 150 more on the road from their neighborhood. They left early this morning for the North.

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