By Sherry Larson
People’s Defender
In exploring Black History Month, we must recognize the Underground Railroad operation and primarily the critical players in southern Ohio. As part of an independent research project in the summer of 2019, West Union High School Social Studies teacher and researcher Megan McCarty and her professor, Dr. Brian Hackett of Northern Kentucky University, began a quest of documenting standing homes and buildings in Adams County that were part of the Underground Railroad. McCarty was adding graduate hours in History to qualify her to teach College Credit Plus courses for the Adams County Ohio Valley School District through Southern State Community College.
McCarty’s initial plan was to create a pamphlet explaining the various standing locations. But, soon after beginning the research, she realized that many sites were no longer standing or very little remained. So, she decided to create a county map highlighting these locations with information and documentation for each place with some involvement. She never expected that three years later, she would have written and documented over 70 pages of research, documentation, pictures, and information.
Scouring archived newspaper articles written by Stephen Kelley for the People’s Defender and studying “A History of Adams County, Ohio from its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time” written in 1900 by Nelson W. Evans and Emmons B. Stivers, McCarty plunged forward in her pursuit. Three local individuals who proved to be quite helpful in moving forward were Linda Worley, Ethel Chambers, and Joyce Wilson. These ladies have helped research and visit various locations throughout the county.
McCarty is nearly finished with the map and her research; though there are a few places where she wants to add further documentation, most of her project is complete. She notes that Adams County has one recognized Underground Railroad station, the John T. Wilson home in Tranquility. However, McCarty discovered multiple locations in the county filled with rich history and documentation that corresponded with the Underground Railroad.
She stated, “Adams County is surrounded by well-documented Underground Railroad locations, yet the stops in our county have had very little recognition. Adams County borders the Ohio River, like our neighboring county, Brown County, home to Ripley with the renowned John Parker and John Rankin homes. We also border Highland and Scioto Counties, which have already documented various Underground Railroad locations. Through my findings, research, and documentation, I seek to prove that Adams County has as much, or more, to offer as our surrounding counties. Unfortunately, no one has ever condensed this information into one source nor created a credible map, so Adams County has gone unnoticed.”
Teaching high school Social Studies in Adams County for 25 years, McCarty highlights local history each spring, teaching students about various landmarks and key individuals. She said, “I have always believed it gives students an opportunity to see that history does not have to exist miles away or in more populated areas, but that it exists in their own backyard and in places that they pass by daily.” McCarty is seeking to publish her compilation of Underground Railroad research to benefit the students and residents of the county and broaden the awareness of the “Freedom Train” that helped many to gain independence.
“I would like to draw attention to the plight of those ‘fugitive’ slaves who risked so much in their journey to freedom and draw attention to those local citizens who risked their lives, families, and property to help another human being gain their freedom,” said McCarty. “I have been surprised and amazed at how brave these individuals were.” She continued, “Many of their stories have been close to being lost, if not having been lost altogether.”
McCarty notes that the Adams County historian Stephen Kelley published many articles of his research about the Underground Railroad. However, Kelley died at age 62, and McCarty explains that his untimely death left his work incomplete. She is hopeful to see her research project completed as a published work. Her labor of love exploring this crucial period of American and Adams County history is a gift and fundamental resource to our community.
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