African American woman tintype
Date: between 1860 and 1865
A tintype of an unidentified African American woman. This photo was passed down through generations of the Platt family. Jireh Platt was an active abolitionist in Mendon, Illinois. His sons Enoch and Luther, members of the Beecher Bible and Rifle Colony, settled in Wabaunsee County, Kansas Territory, where they operated a station on the Underground Railroad. The Platts may have helped this woman escape to freedom. The fact that she is wearing a wedding ring is significant, as slaves weren't legally allowed to marry.

Billings & Bryant to John Brown, bill of sale for horse wagon
Creator: Billings & Bryant,
Date: Between 1855 and 1859
The state of Iowa frequently served as a relatively safe haven for abolitionist John Brown and his followers during the late 1850s, and Iowa City was on the famous Lane Trail which carried many free-state activists and settlers to and from Kansas. This document, from "Billings & Bryant," indicates that the partners had received $100 from John Brown as payment "in full for a heavy Horse Waggon" that they agreed "to ship immediately to J B Iowa City, Iowa; care of Dr. Jesse Bowen." Bowen was a member of the Kansas Central Committee of Iowa who later lived in Leavenworth, Kansas Territory.

Circular Letter, Underground Rail Road Depot, To the Friends of the Fugitives from Slavery
Creator: Abbott, William E.
Date: March 4, 1858
This printed, circular dated Syracuse, March 4, 1858, announce the dissolution of the Syracuse Fugitive Aid Society and directed all "Fugitives" interested in such assistance in the future to contact Rev. J. W. Loguen of that place who would assume "the entire care of the Fugitives who may stop at Syracuse.

Edmund Burke Whitman to Franklin B. Sanborn
Creator: Whitman, E. B. (Edmund Burke), 1812-1883
Date: April 30, 1858
Among other things, Whitman wrote to Sanborn from Lawrence on April 30, 1858, regarding increased activity on the region's U.G.R.R. due in part to the fact that proslavery men in Missouri knew they had lost the battle for Kansas and "large gangs of slaves are already made up for Texas and the Extreme South, in case Lecompton fails to pass. Political harmony had, for the most part, returned to the Free State Party and "we have broken the back bone of the Slave power."

Ephraim Nute to Franklin B. Sanborn
Creator: Nute, Ephraim
Date: March 22, 1859
Ephraim Nute's efforts on behalf of "4 more fugitives," including Charley Fisher of Leavenworth, and the activities of "manhunters" in and around Lawrence are the main focus of this letter to F. B. Sanborn, but Nute also mentions the continuing need for money to pay for Doy's defense. The trial was to begin at St. Joseph the next day.

Ephraim Nute to [Unidentified recipient]
Creator: Nute, Ephraim
Date: February 14, 1859
Ephraim Nute wrote from Lawrence on February 14, 1859, regarding "the disaster that befel the last expedition from this place with fugitives." The party, led by Dr. John Doy, was in route to Oskaloosa when captured and taken to Missouri, where "the colored people, both free and slaves, have been shipped for the New Orleans market." Doy and his son had been jailed at Platte City, Missouri, and were to be tried for "stealing a slave from Weston." Nute was quite sure this operation had been betrayed from within, as "Great rewards were offered, spies sent out & men hired in this place to watch & aid in recovering the run away property."

Ephraim Nute to unidentified recipient
Creator: Nute, Ephraim
Date: February 24, 1859
Ephaim Nute of Lawrence provides an interesting description of the plight of one of the Doy party's fugitive slaves, captured and jailed at Platte City until his escape and dangerous flight back to Lawrence. "We have him now hid & are to day making arrangements to have him set forward tomorrow 30 miles to another depot. I think they (there are 2 others to go) will not be taken again without bloodshed." Nute also mentioned his involvement in the "Charley Fisher affair in Leavenworth." Fisher, a black fugitive, had actually come to Nute's house "disguised in female attire."

Ezekiel Andrus and Mary Jane Wendall Colman
Creator: Downing, George
Date: Between 1890 and 1900
Here are photographs of Ezekiel Andrus Colman and Mary Jane Wendell Colman. Ezekiel Andrus Colman, the son of Cyrus and Lydia Townsend Miles Colman, was born in Ashby, Massachusetts on August 10, 1814. Mary Jane Wendell was born October 16, 1817 in Salem, Massachusetts. They married on November 22, 1838 in Salem, Massachusetts. Colman was involved in wallpaper manufacturing until the pair settled in Lawrence, Kansas in 1854. Ardent Abolitionists, the Colmans joined the fourth Emigrant Aid party. For nearly two years, they lived on a farm three miles southwest of Lawrence, then moved into town to run a grocery store. In 1858, they purchased a farm in the Kanwaka community six miles west of Lawrence. Their farm house had a special room where they could hide slaves seeking freedom. The Colmans had fourteen children. Ezekiel Andrus Colman died December 11, 1898 in San Diego, California. Mary Jane died on October 17, 1905 at the age of 88 and is buried in Oak Hill cemetery, Lawrence, Kansas.

Ezekiel and Mary Jane Colman's home in Douglas County, Kansas
Date: Between 1925 and 1930
This is a photograph showing Ezekiel and Mary Jane Colman's home in Douglas County, Kansas. It was called Colman's Retreat and was built in the 1860s. Ezekiel Andrus Colman, the son of Cyrus and Lydia Townsend Miles Colman, was born in Ashby, Massachusetts on August 10, 1814. He married Mary Jane Wendell on November 22, 1838 in Salem, Massachusetts. She was born October 16, 1817 in Salem, Massachusetts and her parents were Joseph Wendell and Mehitable Ludden. Before coming to Kansas, Ezekiel was involved in wallpaper manufacturing. Being ardent Abolitionists, the Colmans joined the fourth Emigrant Aid party and came to Kansas in 1854 and settled in Lawrence. For nearly two years, they lived on a farm three miles southwest of Lawrence, then moved into town to run a grocery store. In 1858, they purchased a farm in the Kanwaka community six miles west of Lawrence. Their farm house had a special room where they could hide slaves who were seeking freedom. The Colmans had fourteen children. Ezekiel Andrus Colman died December 11, 1898 in San Diego, California. Mary Jane died on October 17, 1905 at the age of 88 and is buried in Oak Hill cemetery, Lawrence, Kansas.

Harvey J. Espy to Samuel N. Wood
Creator: Espy, Harvey J., 1831-1868
Date: November 28, 1859
H. J. Espy, a probate judge in Council Grove, Kansas Territory, writes in response to a letter from Wood, who seemed to have challenged Espy's earlier "charge" that Wood was "connected with the Underground Rail Road." Espy explains that "as I understand the term, Underground Rail Road, I believe there is an inseparable connection between it and the republican party" and that he hadn't applied the connection to Wood personally.

Henry H. Williams to John Brown
Creator: Williams, Henry H.
Date: October 12, 1857
With regard to the recent legislative election, Henry Williams of Osawatomie informed Brown that "it went off right" largely because the Free State men were throughly organized for their protection and the protection of the ballot box. Williams himself led a company of 80 men and believe word of the preparedness contributed to a quiet and successful election day.

Isaac Maris to F. G. Adams
Creator: Maris, Isaac
Date: July 22, 1895
Isaac Maris was responding to a request for information about slaves in Kansas Territory. He provides the names of several families who had slaves and describes the escape of one female slave and her child with indirect references to the underground railroad. This item is from information collected by Miss Zu Adams in 1895. She was researching the topic of slaves in Kansas and contacted a number of early Kansas settlers requesting information about slaves brought to Kansas Territory. While all of the information she collected was based on reminiscences, it still provides useful information that is difficult, if not impossible, to find elsewhere. Miss Adams and her father F. G. Adams were employees of the Kansas State Historical Society and the information received was donated to that institution.

James Henry Lane
Date: 1861
This is a copy of an original photograph taken of Lane in New York City, 1861. James Henry Lane was a Free State leader, serving as an aid to emigrants and the first United States Senator from Kansas. Mrs. John Ingalls had an original of this photograph, and she loaned it to William E. Connelley who had six copies made. Connelley presented one copy to the Kansas State Historical Society in 1912.

Jehu and Mary Hodgson home located southwest of Harveyville cemetery
Date: Between 1857 and 1940
This two-story frame structure belonged to Jehu and Mary Hodgson. It was located near Harveyville, Kansas. In this photo, house appears to be vacant. The Hodgson house was built in 1857 and its owners were believed to be part of the Underground Railroad.

Jeremiah G. Anderson to J. Q. Anderson
Creator: Anderson, J. G.
Date: January 14, 1859
From near Lawrence, Jeremiah G. Anderson wrote to his brother (J. Q. Anderson) about his recent call "into the service," whick took him to Fort Scott and into Missouri with "Old [John] Brown as they call him," where they liberate "ten slaves." Anderson provides some interesting details of their current action and journey, and he observed: "Brown has drawn a paralel [sic] which will be published in the Tribune."

John Armstrong reminiscence
Creator: Armstrong, John, b. 1824
Date: Between 1858 and 1900
This is a reminiscence by abolitionist John Armstrong, detailing his time in Kansas and his involvement with the Bleeding Kansas movement. It is reported that Armstrong was greatly involved in the Underground Railroad in Kansas.

John Brown, Jr., to John Brown
Creator: Brown, Jr., John
Date: February 13, 1858
From Lindenville, Ashtabula Co., Ohio, John Jr. wrote his father on February 13, 1858, to report that he was ready to travel to Washington, D.C., if Brown wanted him to and to enlist the assistance of Marcus Parrott if needed. (It is unclear what kind of legislative business he intended to pursue there.) John Jr. closes by making what appears to be a veiled reference to the Underground Railroad in Pennsylvania and by relating his plan to move soon to North Elba.

John Brown to James Henry Lane
Creator: Brown, John, 1800-1859
Date: September 16, 1857
In response to Jim Lane's September 7 call for assistance, John Brown wrote from Tabor, Iowa, on September 16, 1857: "I suppose that three good teams with well covered waggons, & ten really ingenious industrious men with about $150 in cash, could bring it about in the course of eight or ten days."

John E. Stewart
John E. Stewart was a free state supporter and was active in a number of the territorial confrontations between free state supporters and proslavery supporters. He helped runaway slaves escape on the Underground Railroad. Stewart was listed on the Free State ticket as running for the Territorial House of Representatives for Douglas County in May, 1858.

John E. Stewart to Thaddeus Hyatt
Creator: Stewart, John E
Date: December 20, 1859
John E. Stewart wrote from Wakarusa, Kansas to Thaddeus Hyatt, president of the National Kansas Committee, describing his work on the underground railroad. This letter detailed the inclement weather and difficulties he encountered as he helped slaves to escape from Missouri, as well as his procedure for locating the slaves and hiding them in his wagon. Stewart sought to gain assistance from Hyatt, mainly in the form of provisions and horses. He also needed advice about what to do with the escaped slaves to ensure that they were not captured and sold again into slavery.

John Henry Kagi to William A. Phillips
Creator: Kagi, John Henry
Date: February 7, 1859
One the back of this "original" letter, "W. A. P." (William A. Phillips) noted that it was written by John H. Kagi, a Brown lieutenant, "after taking the Negroes captured in Missouri near the southeast Kansas line. The last armed exploit of John Brown in Kansas."

John Ritchie
This sepia colored carte-de-visite shows John Ritchie, (1817-1887), an abolitionist from Franklin, Indiana who moved, in 1855, to Topeka, Kansas. Actively involved in the Free State movement, Ritchie operated a way station along the underground railroad to help runway slaves. In 1858 and 1859 he respectively served as a delegate to the Leavenworth and Wyandotte Constitutional Conventions. Ritchie was also instrumental in donating a 160 acres of land for the future site of Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas.

John Smith, Wabaunsee, Kansas
Date: Between 1865 and 1875
This is a studio portrait of John Smith who came to Wabaunsee, Kansas in 1855, before the Beecher Colony. He was a conductor on the Underground Railroad and fought in the Civil War. He lived in Wabaunsee until his death in 1915.

Joseph Gardner to George L. Stearns
Creator: Gardner, Joseph, 1820-1863
Date: May 29, 1860
Joseph Gardner, a free-state partisan of Douglas County, Kansas Territory, and a member of the Dr. John Doy rescue party, writes Stearns requesting firearms and ammunition as there were people in the vicinity of St. Joseph, Missouri, who reportedly were preparing to "make war upon my house." Word had reportedly gone out that Gardner was "harboring fugitives" [fugitive slaves).

Joshua Smith, Wabaunsee, Kansas
Date: Between 1880 and 1890
This is a photograph of Joshua Smith who came to Wabaunsee, Kansas, from England in 1849 with his wife and family of six. He and his son John were part of the Underground Railroad. He came to Wabaunsee in 1855 and moved to Wichita after the Civil War.