By Ryan Applegate
People’s Defender
With heartfelt tributes, stirring music, and a clear sense of shared purpose, community members and dignitaries gathered this weekend to dedicate the John T. Wilson Homestead and the Governor Thomas Kirker Homestead, celebrating their official inclusion in the National Park Service’s Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, a distinction that recognizes the sites as nationally significant landmarks in the fight against slavery.
The selection of these sites was made possible through research and development by the Appalachian Freedom Heritage Tourism Initiative, funded in part by a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission and led by the Lawrence Economic Development Corporation.
The morning began at the John T. Wilson Homestead with prelude music by Mr. Neil DeAtley. Ashley Deal, Grant Project Manager with the LEDC, offered opening remarks. “These signs are not just waypoints but symbols of truth and resilience,” Deal said. “They mark the sacrifices made in the pursuit of freedom.”
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