2024 Michigan Underground Railroad Heritage Gathering explores jobs, roles that aided freedom seekers

If you are interested in learning more about Michigan’s ties to the Underground Railroad, including the surprising stories of how everyday jobs supported the success of freedom seekers, mark your calendars for the Michigan Underground Railroad Heritage Gathering Saturday, Sept. 21, at the Michigan History Center in Lansing.

Hosted by the Michigan Freedom Trail Commission, the gathering is an annual conference that provides opportunities for learning through networking, discussion and presentations.

“The annual gathering, during International Underground Railroad Month, is a time for conversation and connection that renews contacts from across the state,” said Sandra Clark, director of the Michigan History Center. “The thoughtful, detail-rich presentations help to expand our collective knowledge of this important part of our state’s history and lead to new avenues of research, analysis and understanding.”

The 2024 Heritage Gathering

This year’s theme is "Working Toward Freedom: Occupations and the Underground Railroad.” The gathering will explore various occupations – hotel keepers and staff, farmers, toll gate keepers and church officials – that provided people with opportunities to assist freedom seekers.

Registration starts at 8:30 a.m., with opening remarks to follow at 9 a.m. The day includes four core presentations:

• “A Talent for Freedom” by Dr. Cheryl Janifer LaRoche, author and historical archaeologist. Knowledge of the Underground Railroad has centered largely on stories, escape ads, court cases and reminiscences. Dr. LaRoche will give the virtual keynote presentation, discussing how, after decades of pulling information from those sources, everyday professions affected successful escapes.
• “The North Star and the Barber Pole: Black Barbers and the UGRR in the Old Northwest” by Roy E. Finkenbine, history professor at the University of Detroit Mercy. Finkenbine will focus on the Black barbers involved in the Underground Railroad from the Ohio River Valley to the Detroit River borderland. He will be joined by Mark Evans, a descendant of David Adams, a Black barber from Findlay, Ohio. Evans will speak about his ancestor’s role in that region of the Underground Railroad.
• “Farmers, Fugitives, and Freedom: Oakland County’s Network of Underground Railroad Activism” by historian Rochelle E. Danquah. This presentation will examine the role of farmers in abolition and Underground Railroad movements in Oakland County, with a focus on the Refugee Home Society, which created a local Black settlement.
• “A Real Caretakers: William Dolarson in Detroit’s Underground Railroad” by Jamon Jordan, Detroit city historian. The day’s final presentation will center on William Dolarson, a freedom seeker who became a conductor on the Underground Railroad in Detroit. Dolarson worked with other agents, including William Lambert, Rev. William Monroe and George DeBaptiste, but most significantly with Seymour Finney, the owner of a prominent tavern in Detroit.

“Since its inception in 2018, the annual Michigan Underground Railroad Heritage Gathering has provided participants with a wealth of new knowledge about one of the proudest parts of Michigan's history, as well as a chance to network with people of similar interests across the state, including local historians, site managers, educators, researchers, descendants, and a wide range of interested citizens,” said Finkenbine.

The 2024 Michigan Underground Railroad Heritage Gathering will conclude at 3:30 p.m. after closing remarks.

Registration/credit information

Registration is just $12 and includes the cost of lunch. Register on Eventbrite.

Attending teachers can receive State Continuing Education Clock Hours, or SCECH, credits.

About the Michigan Freedom Trail Commission

The Michigan Freedom Trail Commission preserves and promotes the rich legacy of the Underground Railroad and the antislavery movement in Michigan.

The commission supports and creates Michigan nominations to the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. The nominations tell the stories of Michigan’s freedom seekers and their allies. It works to educate both students and the public about Michigan people and places related to the antislavery movement and promote visitation to the sites. Quarterly commission meetings are open to the public.  

Note to editors: An accompanying photo is available below for download. Caption information follows.

• Underground Railroad: This monument, located in Battle Creek, pays homage to those who aided freedom seekers. The side shown in the photo depicts Sarah and Erastus Hussey bringing freedom seekers into their home. The other side, not pictured, portrays Harriet Tubman leading people north.