Freedom on Liberty Hill

This is the commanding view of the Ohio River from the home of Presbyterian Minister John Rankin, high above the historic town of Ripley, Ohio. On a clear day (which this wasn’t), you can see seven bends in the river as it marks the border between Kentucky and Ohio. Reverend Rankin and his large family were among the most notable abolitionists in the area, providing shelter to an estimated 2,000 freedom seekers. Their house could be identified at night from the river by a candle glowing in its window.



Here is a view of the house, restored to its original appearance during the heyday of the Underground Railroad in the decade leading up to the Civil War.



To the right of the entrance is a root cellar where runaway slaves were hidden until it was safe for them to move along the ridge above town to the Red Oak Presbyterian Church, the next stop on their journey to freedom (more on that later).



Here is the view from the top of the “stairway to liberty” supposedly used by the freedom seekers to reach the Rankin’s home from Ripley after crossing the river.

The stairs have been restored, but here is an historic picture of the original stairs – quite a climb!

The author Harriet Beecher Stowe was a frequent guest at the Rankin home and it is said that the character Eliza in her novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin was based on an actual runaway slave who made three daring trips across the frozen river to rescue her husband, infant, and seven other children.



The Red Oak Presbyterian Church and Cemetery was the second stop near Ripley for escaped slaves on the run.



Although it was a significant part of the Underground Railroad, the cemetery is better known by tourists as the final resting place for the iconic Aunt Jemima.


(Rosa Washington Riles was born in Red Oak, Ohio. She was recruited to travel around the country playing Aunt Jemima, beginning in the mid-1930s in stage shows, film, on the radio and eventually TV.)



Before leaving Kentucky this morning I visited a few sites worth noting. The Paxton Inn in Old Washington was built around 1810 by James A. Paxton, a local attorney and abolitionist.



It was said to be a safe house for escaping slaves, who were believed to have hidden on a narrow staircase next to the kitchen fireplace until they could be safely moved across the river to Ohio.


Also in Old Washington is the Harriet Beecher Stowe Slavery to Freedom Museum. This building was the home of Marshall Key, who was visited by Stowe during the summer of 1833. While there, she attended a local slave auction on the adjacent courthouse lawn.


That scene was later incorporated in her famous novel.


As I passed through downtown Maysville, I visited the Bierbower House, another documented safe house built in the 1840s. The Underground Railroad experience is becoming so much more tangible to me now as I encounter more of these actual sites.


In tomorrow’s blog I will feature the Ripley home of ex-slave, abolitionist and inventor John P. Parker.



Before I wrap this up, I want you to appreciate the effort I have made to be chased by a bear in order to up the ante on pledges. Although I couldn’t get him to chase me, he did try to swat me!



He was one of a pair of bears living in the back yard of one of Ripley’s more colorful characters. I am no longer surprised by anything I see on this journey.





I really want to thank Sonja Cropper, who spent the day showing me around Ripley. As the county’s economic development and tourism guru, she is doing a great job promoting this area’s important contributions to the Underground Railroad.


Time to call it a night. Check back with me tomorrow when I will hopefully be in Cincinnati. Take care!

Large versions of all my blog pics can be found at my photo gallery

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