Sylvania was a route on the Underground Railroad

Researched by prepared by Gaye E. Gindy
Special to the Herald

Did someone mention the Lathrop House (5362 S. Main Street)? It seems to be on everyone's mind this season. Most of the comments are, please don't tell me they are actually thinking abut tearing this down? Well, as unbelievable as it is, yes they are.

We will start at the beginning:
The Underground Railroad had no formal organization. It was not a railroad at all, and it was not underground. It was called this because of the swift, secret way in which runaway slaves escaped through secret routes from the slave territories to free territories, helped by a group of citizens who believed that slavery was a wicked, cruel and detrimental evil. These citizens secretly helped fugitive slaves escape to freedom.

There were no records kept by these citizens because of the fugitive slave laws which would have inflicted stiff penalties on anyone caught helping an escapee, therefore a researcher cannot go to a specific history book and locate the routes and the names of the people involved. Almost all history regarding this subject was recorded by families and historians after the Civil War, through oral histories, told and recorded after the fact.

One historian that spent years researching the Underground Railroad, obtaining oral histories and recording routes after the Civil War, was Professor Wilbur H. Siebert. Professor Siebert was employed at the History Department of Ohio State University and documented much of what we know today about the routes through Ohio. He discovered that the heaviest aid was rendered to the fugitive slaves from 1850 to 1860 after the Fugitive Slave Laws were passed in 1850.

In a review of some of these written histories, it was discovered that two families from Sylvania were involved in helping fugitive slaves escape to Canada. These two families were the Harroun family and the Lathrop family. The Harroun family owned the farm east of Harroun Road, where the Flower Hospital/Crestview/Lake Park facilities are located today. The Lathrop family owned the farm on the west side of Harroun Road, with their home fronting along Maumee Road (Main Street). There have been many histories written documenting these facts, and many documents recording the Harroun's and Lathrop's involvement in Sylvania. Documented records also indicate the Lucian Lathrop and David Harroun were very involved in the Free Soil Party in Lucas County. This was a political party formed to oppose the extension of slavery. Martin VanBuren became the Free Soilers' candidate for President in 1848. Their campaign slogan was "Free Soil, Free Speech, Free Labor and Free Men." Lucian Lathrop and David Harroun were very involved in supporting Mr. VanBuren for President during this campaign.

In 1849, Mr. Lathrop and Mr. Harroun attended the Lucas County Convention of the "Free Democratic's." At this convention a platform was adopted declaring slavery to be "a moral, social and political evil."

In 1850, in Lucas County, a protest was held against the Fugitive Slave Law that had been enacted by Congress. Once again, Mr. Lathrop and Mr. Harroun, from Sylvania, attended this protest.

Many hours have been devoted to compiling all available documented proof that these two Sylvania residents were involved in "Underground Railroad" activities and are available for review at the website of the "Friends of the Lathrop House"

(http://members.accesstoledo.com/sev0808/LathropHouse.html).

Recently more documents have been located to add to this list. The most important was an article that appeared in the quarterly bulletin of the Historical Society of Northwestern Ohio, October 1939 issue. The article was prepared by members of this society and their references were research items recorded by Professor W.H. Siebert, Stanley W. McClure and Edward O'Connor. Three of the most outstanding authorities on the subject of Fugitive Slaves and the Underground Railroads in Ohio.

This article reported the following: "Toledo was an important "station" on this railroad, but more frequently, the route led through back country roads and farming districts where secrecy was more easily attained. Recently the Editor was driven by Mrs. Ernest W. shaw to a farm near Sylvania, west of Toledo, which had for many years been owned and occupied by her ancestor, David Harroun. The old farm house built in 1858 on the site of the original log cabin, has recently been torn down since its purchase by Mr. Rudolph Barnard who is preserving the ancient trees and shrubbery. This farm was one of the old "stations" of the underground railroad. Mrs. Shaw has in her possession a photograph of the old barn, still standing, in which the slaves were formerly hidden, and showing two of the wagons in which they (the slaves) were usually conveyed to the next "station." Apparently they were innocent looking farm or lumber wagons but they had false bottoms in which the fugitives could be concealed in a small space covered by planks. Hay or other farm produce was then piled on top of the planks and they were driven by night over back roads to the next "station" from which they could be taken by boat to Canada, and eventual freedom. Within a few hundred yards of the Harroun house is another house formerly known as the old Colonial House. This has been recently purchased by Mr. Fallis and handsomely restored to its ancient condition. It, too, was, in the old slave days, a "station" of the railroad and, when the house was remolded, a concealed room in its cellar (formerly reached by an outside stairway) was discovered, with the beds still in it, where the slaves were hidden until an opportune time came for sending them on to the next "station." These Sylvania "stations" lying some miles west of Toledo and on roads, then rarely traveled, were probably more frequently used than the Toledo "stations" because they were less likely to be visited by the pursing slave owners especially after the Federal agents, acting under the "Fugitive Slave Laws" became so active. (This falls right in line with the fact that according to the minutes of the Sylvania Village Council, on 6-3-1938, council approved a building permit for Linton Fallis for alterations on his dwelling home on South Main Street).

An article written in this bulletin in April of 1936 titled: "Fugitive Slaves in Ontario" said that Professor W.H. Siebert, years ago worked out the routes by which the fugitives from the south came to safety in Canada. He recorded that the ports through Ohio brought more slaves to Canada than any other state. Another article in the April 1937 bulletin titled: "Fugitive Slaves in Ohio" with information gathered by Professor W. H. Siebert said in part:

· The heaviest aid was rendered to the fugitive slaves by members of the Free Soil Party formed principally by abolitionists. (Lucian Lathrop and David Harroun were members of the Free Soil Party.

· Many Ohio ministers aided the fugitives. (Lucian Lathrop was a preacher for the Universalist Church and his obituary notice in 1873 says that he labored in this capacity for 10 years), and more than that prior to the Civil War the Universalist Church took a strong stand against slavery.

· There were possibly twenty-five or more escape lines across Ohio. The routes were many and were complex routes to create diversions.

· Secret rooms were fitted behind Dutch ovens, in barns, houses, etc. Great secrecy was used in passing on these fugitives. Private carriages, stage-coaches, farm-wagons, railroad coaches, steam-boats, canal boats, and ferry boats were used. (An interesting fact: In telephone interviews with Helen Fallis Pomeranz, granddaughter of James Fallis who lived in this home from 1915 to 1934, she said over and over again that there were ovens built into the wall in the basement of the home. One was used for cooking and the other was used as an entrance way to a room behind where the slaves were hidden). She said this was a story that had been told by her grandfather and old-time residents of Sylvania for many years.

· Many hid the runaway slaves in a basement room, which had been walled off in such a way that it could not be detected from the main cellar. The only entrance into his hiding place was by means of some sort of trap door. (The home at 5362 S. Main Street, had this basement room as well as the trap door. That being the door to the oven that Mrs. Pomeranz keeps referring to).

· When transporting fugitive slaves, "they were often disguised, conveyed in covered wagons, or under false bottoms of the vehicles, or piled with bags of wool or potatoes. (This is what David Harroun had that his granddaughter Alice Harroun Shaw referred to).

· Some operators had a number of secret rooms and tunnels leading from a cellar to a barn or corn crib. (Mr. Vogt, who lived in the home at 5362 S. Main Street from 1954 until his death in 1999, reported that he was able to detect voids in the backyard of this home leading from the basement to areas in his backyard leading to the ravine on this property).

Yes. Sylvania! The home at 5362 S. Main Street was part of the Underground Railroad! The Lathrop's did help and hide fugitive slaves in this home!

What more proof do you want? In many communities you find that local park boards take over historical facilities such as these. Park Board members we need your help! This house must be preserved! This house must be saved! This house presents Sylvania and Sylvanians! This house is an important part of our history and represents what Sylvanians are all about! People helping people in need!!!

Example: The September 11th tragedy and the help that the people of Sylvania gave when donations were requested and what Sylvanians brought to a truck stationed in the City of Sylvania parking lot, that left Sylvania an went to "ground-zero" with emergency supplies needed to help in the search and rescue efforts.