“Onward to Chicago” scheduled for February 26 at 6 p.m. on Library stage
Information provided by the Lansing Historical Society
LANSING, Ill. (February 22, 2024) – The Lansing Historical Society will be presenting a program entitled “Onward to Chicago, Freedom Seekers and the Underground Railroad in Northeastern Illinois,” on Monday, February 26 at 6 p.m. on the stage of the Lansing Public Library, 2750 Indiana Avenue.
The program will feature slides and commentary by Dr. Larry McClellan, the author of the book “Onward to Chicago, Freedom Seekers and the Underground Railroad in Northeastern Illinois,” and Tom Shepherd. McClellan and Shepherd were responsible for having the Jan Ton farm officially recognized on the National Park Service’s Network to Freedom project.
Now Dr. McClellan has dug even deeper into local sources and presents even more detailed portraits of the Freedom Seekers themselves as well as those who helped them.
McClellan includes specific freedom seeker journey stories and introduces particular routes. This narrative highlights how significant biracial collaboration led to friendships as Black and white abolitionists worked together to provide support for freedom seekers. Black and white activists provided aid in a range of communities to seekers traveling through the area, ultimately helping to combat slavery in the United States.
The program is open to the public and admission is free. For more information, call 708-474-7497.
Related
- Proposed Freedom Trail would mark Underground Railroad sites of significance from Chicago to Detroit (September 25, 2023)
