(By Stephen Kelley, from the People’s Defender 1984)

Continuing from last week, William Harris Snedaker began conducting slaves on the Underground Railroad at age seventeen. His parents, Garret and Margaret Snedaker, made their home at Decatur a “station” on the railroad. It was William’s job to safely transport runaway slaves from the stations at the nearby community of Red Oak to his parent’s home and from their home on northward to stations near North Liberty (Cherry Fork).

William later told his children that his parents normally hid the fugitive slaves in the cellar of their home. However, when it was believed there were slave hunters in the area, the slaves were concealed in the cornfield behind the home. The runaway blacks were hidden by day and moved between stations under cover of darkness.

William also related to his children that there were informants in the community who let his family know if and when there were slave hunters (bounty hunters) in the area. Although many of these informants were not directly involved in the Underground Railroad, their spying activities on behalf of the railroad participants were a greatly appreciated and needed service.

William Snedaker’s job as conductor continued from his first run in 1852 through the next eleven years when the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Lincoln. He later related that although there were many nights he knew slave hunters were on his trail, he always managed to lose them by veering off the main route. During his many years as conductor, not one slave was lost nor was he ever caught. During the Civil War, Snedaker served in the Home Guards and then as Corporal in Company B of the 172nd Regiment of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was raised in the Presbyterian Church and was a member of that denomination for seventy-two years.

Snedaker was married three times. His first marriage occurred in 1859 to Melissa Saulisbury of Red Oak. After her death in 1876, he was married to Mary Wallace of Greenfield. Unfortunately for William, history repeated itself and he also lost Mary to the Grim Reaper. He married again in 1887 to Annabelle Urton of Marble Furnace. She was the daughter of Mahlon and Susan Summers Urton and the granddaughter of Jacob Summers who had moved from Virginia and bought the old Marble Furnace in 1836. Annabelles uncle was Captain James Summers.

Following the Civil War, William lived a few years in Ripley and then moved in 1879 to a farm near Tranquility. He and Annabelle retired in 1915 and moved to Forest Avenue in Seaman where William died in 1929. Upon his death he was believed to be the oldest resident of Adams County.