Ontario's Underground Railroad

The brush is tall enough to hide in but not tall enough to hide a runaway's scent from bloodhounds. It's tall enough to hide predatory and poisonous snakes but it's not tall enough to quell a fugitive slave's legendary horror (perpetrated by fear mongering slaveholders) of having...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inLos Angeles sentinel Vol. LXXI; no. 28
Main Author Morgan, Barbara
Format Newspaper Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Los Angeles, Calif Los Angeles Sentinel 29.09.2005
Subjects
Black history
Historic buildings & sites
Ontario Canada
Tourism
Tourist attractions
Underground Railroad
Ontario Canada
Canada
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Summary:The brush is tall enough to hide in but not tall enough to hide a runaway's scent from bloodhounds. It's tall enough to hide predatory and poisonous snakes but it's not tall enough to quell a fugitive slave's legendary horror (perpetrated by fear mongering slaveholders) of having your eyes plucked out by deadly crows. The brush is thick and foreboding and it's easy to be transported back in time, back to Troublesome Creek, North Carolina, where [John Freeman Walls] and his fiancee Jane King and her four children began their escape to Canada. Aunt Stella, who lived to be 102-years-old, is also buried there. It was Aunt Stella, according to [Allen Walls], who carried the history of how John and [Jane Walls] came together. According to family lore the plantation owner's son, Daniel Walls and John Walls were born on the same day and nursed by John's mother because Daniel's mother died in childbirth. The two were very close despite the abuses of slavery in general and those of Daniel's father, Eli Walls in particular. Family history has it that once Daniel took over the plantation, he married the former Jane King but he died prematurely and his deathbed request to John Walls was that John look after Jane and their four children. John did just that and the couple eventually fell in love. For information on Ontario Black Heritage Tours and accommodations, contact Sandra Bradt, Windsor Tourism, at (519)253-3636 ext. 231 or Kattrin Sieber, Ontario Tourism (416) 737-7374; Sandwich Baptist Church, 3652 Peter Street, Windsor, ON N9C 1J8, (519) 252-4917, Dr. Colin Smith, pastor Email: ColEduCon; North American Black Historical Museum, 277 King Street, Amherstburg, ON N9V 2C7 (519) 736-5433, Curator: Elise Harding-Davis, E-mail: nabhm@emporium.on.ca; John Freeman Walls Historic Site, County Road 25, Lakeshore Township, (519) 258-6253; Email: proverbs@undergroundrailroadmuseum.com, Contact Dr. Bryan, Allen or Winston Walls; Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site, 29251 Uncle Tom's Road, Dresden, ON NOP IMO, (519) 683-2978, Email: info@uncletomscabin.org, Site Manager: [Steven Cook]; Buxton National Historic Site, P.O. Box 53, North Buxton, ON NOP IY0, (519) 352-4799, Email: buxton@ciaccess.com, Curator/Manager: Shannon Prince.
ISSN:0890-4340