This page is dedicated to the study of the Underground Railroad in the following counties in Northeast Ohio: Ashland, Carroll, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit, and Wayne. The south part of this area includes important Quaker communities such as Massillon, Alliance, and Wooster. The northern part of the region was heavily Congregational, and includes such noted anti-slavery towns as Medina, Ravenna, and Hudson. John Brown of Harpers Ferry fame was a resident of two counties in the region: Summit and Portage, in the towns of Hudson, Kent, Akron, Munroe Falls, and Richfield.

Portage County was the site of two important events in local anti-slavery history: In 1846, the residents of Randolph managed to thwart an attempted capture of a fugitive couple by having the whole town band together and drive off the bounty hunters. In 1848, also in Randolph, immediacists from Portage, Summit, and Stark County gathered to sign a petition demanding that Ohio secede from the Union unless immediate abolition of slavery was enacted nationally. Organized anti-slavery societies and "free" churches are abundant in the region, giving us a clear picture of attitudes and activities in the days when slavery was our nation's most divisive social issue.

One of the unusual characteristics of this region is that it contains many towns that saw their major growth after the Civil War. In Akron and Canton in particular, this exponential growth resulted in the demolition of buildings used in the Underground Railroad. In many cases, especially in the big cities, we have a location but not a structure.

James F. Caccamo, Director of the Kent Historical Society, has spent many years investigating the Underground Railroad heritage in Northeast Ohio. A sampling of the identified sites in the area can be reached through the links below. These are only a fraction of the Underground Railroad sites Mr. Caccamo has investigated. Send queries about to kenthist@aol.com

Links to County Sites:

Ashland County

Carroll County

Medina County

Portage County

Stark County

Summit County

Wayne County

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