BACK TO the African American history of Western New York
The names on the following list are of individuals identified in one of more of several studies (listed below) as having been active in Underground Railroad activities in one of the eight counties of western New York (Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming).
This list is incomplete. The Underground Railroad was a secret and illegal activity. Even after slavery had ended, those few participants who were willing to talk about their activities were often reluctant to name others who had been involved. The coverage of this list is uneven. The absence of names, or the absence of names from a particular locality does not mean that a particular individual was not involved, or that there was no activity in a region, but only that such involvement was not recorded in the sources used for this list.
In compiling this list, I have included only names of persons who were said to be directly involved with the Underground Railroad. This excludes hundreds of individuals who were known abolitionists, people who were members of churches that took a stand against slavery, many of whom were know to have publicly spoken against the fugitive slave law or to have sent aid to fugitive slaves in Canada. All of these individuals were part of a larger anti-slavery community, but I have not included them unless they have been specifically identified as engaged in assisting fugitive slaves.
|
SOURCES GR Graf, Hildegarde F., Abolition and Anti-Slavery in Buffalo
and Erie County. Thesis, University of Buffalo, May 1939. |
|
ALLEGANY COUNTY |
|
| Babcock, Luke, Friendship, NY [PH-110] Bassett, Bayless S., Alfred, NY [PH-119] Bliss, (Rev) J.F., Friendship, NY [PH-110] Case, (Deacon) ----, [SI-414] Cotton, Samuel C., Friendship, NY (possible site) [PH-110] Hammond, ----, Friendship, NY [PH-111] Hatch, Jeremiah and Lucy, Friendship, NY [PH-108] King, John, Ceres, NY [PH-101-103] |
Knight, William, Scio, NY [PH-111] Lanphear, Ethan, Nile, NY [PH-108] Lyle, (Rev.) John, Oramel, NY [PH-112] Randall, C.H. [PH-114] Renwick, Robert, Belfast, NY [PH-112] Richmond, Alanson A. Short Tract, NY [PH-113] Sortore, William, Belmont, NY [PH-111-112] |
|
CATTARAUGUS COUNTY |
|
| Brooks, James (Judge), Pleasant Valley, NY [PH-104,106]
Chapman, Hiram (Capt), Versailles, NY [PE-41-45; SI-414] Cooper, William , Perrysburg, NY [PE-45-56; SI-414] Scott, Hollis, Hinsdale, NY [PH-106] |
Searl, Isaac, Ishua, NY [PH-106] Remington, Joseph, Riceville, NY [PH-106] Welles, ----, Leon, NY [PE-46; SI-414] |
|
CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY |
|
| Andrew, ---- [SI-414] Backus, Norman, Busti, NY [PH-88] Broadhead, Jabez, Busti, NY [PH-88] Broadhead, John (Rev), Busti, NY [ME-108] Brown (Dr), Busti, NY [PH-87] Cooper, William, Perrysburg, NY [PH-87,95] Cranston, ---- [SI-414] Curtis, ---- Busti, NY [PH-89-90] Crossman, Phineas, Jamestown, NY? [PH-91] Denney, Cassadaigua, NY [PH-93] Fenton, George Washington, Frewsburg, NY [PH-87] Frink, ---- (Rev) [SI-414] Green, ---- Busti, NY [PH-89] Frost, George H., Cherry Creek, NY [PH-95] Hall, Hervay (Harvay), Ripley, NY [PH-56, 82] Harris, Catherine, Jamestown, NY [PH-91-3;ME-111] Hedges, William (Dr.), Jamestown, NY? [PH-91] Knowlton, ---- Westfield, NY [SI-414; PH-82] Jones, Levi, Busti, NY [PH-88; ME-108] Lee, Oliver, Cherry Creek, NY [PH-95] |
Little, John, Arkwright, NY [PE-14; SI-414] Miller, Benjamin, Cassadaigua, NY? [PH-93] Nessle, Joseph B., Ellington, NY [ME-111] Page, Addison A., Jamestown, NY? [PH-91] Pettit, Eber M., Versailles, NY [PH-87,95-96;SI-414] Pettit, James (Dr.), Fredonia, NY [PH-93; SI-414] Plumb, Alvin (Squire), Busti, NY [ME-108] Pratt, Humphrey, Busti, NY [ME-108] Price, Addison, Jamestown, NY [PH-90] Sackett, Joseph, Cassadiagua, NY [PH-93] Shearman, Silas (Sr.), Jamestown, NY [PH-90,91;ME-110-11] Storum, William, Busti, NY [PH-87-88; ME-108] Thayer, Hiram, Frewsburg, NY [ME-111] Webster, Luther, Fredonia, NY [PH-93] Wells, Ed, Busti, NY [PH-87] Windsor, Clinton, Jamestown, NY [PH-91] Work, Edward, Falconer, NY [ME-111] Vail, Holman, Cherry Creek, NY [PH-95] Van Dusen, Frank, Jamestown, NY? [PH-91] |
|
ERIE COUNTY |
|
| Aldrich, ---- [SI-414] Baker, Benjamin [GR-76; ME-106] Baker, Obadiah, Orchard Park, NY [ME-100] Barker, Gideon [SI-414] Brown, William Wells, Buffalo, NY [GR-80; ME-106] Butler, Morris, Buffalo, NY [SE-195; GR-78-79; ME-105] Dodge, Cheesham, Buffalo, NY [GR-76] Dodge, Hampton, Buffalo, NY [ME-105] E---, ---- (Deacon), Springville, NY [PE-70-71] Fosdick, John Spencer, Buffalo, NY [GR-78] "Friend Andrew" (Quaker), Brant?, NY [PE-14,18,94] Hathaway, ---- Collins, NY [PE-46; PH-87] Haywood, William [SI-414] |
Hill, Roswell, Eden, NY [ME-99] Johnson, George W. [SI-414] Love, Thomas C., Buffalo, NY [GR-77] Maxwell, John, Buffalo, NY [ME-105] Moore, Henry (Deacon) [SI-414] Murray, Samuel, Buffalo, NY [GR-79; ME-106] Orr, Abner, Holland, NY [ME-99] Orton,---- (father of Edward), Buffalo, NY [SE-189] Webster, Mary Willis, Town Line, NY [PH-97;ME- 100] Wilkes, John, Rice Corners, Sardinia, NY [ME-99] Williams, ---- [SI-414] Ziegler, Black Rock (Buffalo), NY [ME-106] Zimmer, Carl, Buffalo, NY [GR-79] |
|
GENESEE COUNTY |
|
| Brewster, Judge [SI-414] Comstock, Dea. [SI-414] Huftelen, E. [SI-414] |
McDonald, Daniel [LE; SI-414] Thomlinson, George [LE] |
|
NIAGARA COUNTY |
|
| Binmore, Thomas, Lockport, NY [SI-414] Childs, W.H., Niagara Falls, NY [SI-414] Comstock, Darius, Lockport, NY (rescue) [ME-101] Hichens, Francis, Lockport, NY [ME-101-2] Jackson, Ben, Niagara Falls [PE 85] |
P---, ----, Niagara Falls, NY [PE-85-86] Richardson, Moses, Lockport, NY [SI-414; ME-102] Spaulding, Lyman, Lockport, NY [SI-414; ME-102] Tryon, Joshua (Rev), Lewiston, NY [ME-103-4] W---, Dennis, Lockport, N.Y. [PE 86-88] |
|
ORLEANS COUNTY |
|
| Anderson, Robert, Gaines, NY [ME-100] | |
|
WYOMING COUNTY |
|
| Andrews, Josiah, Perry,NY [SI 415] Breck, Allen Y., Warsaw, NY [SI 415] Chapin, Willard J., Perry, NY [SI 415] Frank, Dr. Augustus, Warsaw, NY [SI 415] Galusha, Rev. Ellin, Perry, NY [SI 415] Gates, Seth M., Warsaw, NY [SI 415] Lyman, Ralston W., Arcade, NY [SI-415; PE-79] |
McKay, F.C.D., Warsaw, NY [SI 415] Miller, Frank, Warsaw, NY [SI 415] Poenix, Samuel F., Perry (?), NY [SI 415] Shepard, (Col.) Charles O., Arcade, NY [SI 415; PE-79-80] Waldo, H.N., Arcade, NY [SI 415 PE -79] Young, Andrew W., Warsaw, NY [SI 415] |
compiled by Christopher Densmore, University Archives, State University of New York at Buffalo. Revised, March 2000.
references: [Densmore],