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In the early decades following statehood for Illinois (1818), it is written that Abolitionists were considered "fanatics," of an unpopular mind-set. Illinois actually was settled by a diverse lot. In Southern Illinois most of the settlers were descended from the Southern states of Kentucky and Tennessee who may not have believed in slavery or could not reach the economic level of the plantation owner who could farm large acreages with slave labor. The humble farmer moved Westward. And besides, land in Illinois, a free state, was plentiful and cheap. Those Southerners filtered into the south parts of Illinois, upward then into central counties where cotton could be grown and so was called "Little Egypt." The wealthy elsewhere used slaves, cheap labor, aggressively insisting on property rights. The Northern sections of Illinois was settled mostly by Yankees ... New Englanders, Middle Atlantic Seaboarders, Pennsylvanians, Ohio and so forth, all of whom were decisively opposed to slavery. Though not using slaves themselves, the South and Central Illinoisans surely didn't want the status quo to be overturned by the strait-laced Easterners especially when the immediate neighbors, Missouri and Kentucky, allowed slavery. As an example of sentiment in Illinois in 1837 the state legislature adopted a resolution denouncing Abolitionism. The Senate voted unanimously while the state House of Representatives had six dissent, in other words vote for Abolitionism among which was Abraham Lincoln. Following the murder of Elijah Lovejoy in 1837 momentum increased concerned the Anti-Slavery movement. Several prominent citizens entered into aiding the escaping slave for which some received extreme punishment not fitting the crime. Three were sentenced to twelve years in prison each. Another was fined $400 by Judge Stephen A. Douglas(!), Dr. Richard Eells of Quincy being fined. That did not stop Eells because he later became president of the Illinois Anti-Slavery Society in the 1840s then was a candidate for governor for the Liberty Party in 1844. The Sterling-Rock Falls Historical Society is restoring the home of one-time Sheriff of Whiteside County, William Manahan, who hosted Abraham Lincoln overnight in 1856. During the work on the quaint, brick cottage, a pamphlet, "New Liberty Almanac," was found from the rafters. It was dated 1846. (The Liberty Party existed from about 1839-1849.) It is thought that like Robert Clendenin, Morrison (last week) also one-time sheriff, Manahan was an Abolitionist. The discovery of the pamphlet seems to enforce that assumption . He was a delegate to the first Republican convention in Illinois, it has been found. Those two law officers must have endured many a dilemma in upholding the strictures caused by the illegality that was slavery in Illinois and their personal belief in anti-slavery. Many of the conductors on the UGRR were noted as upright, law-abiding citizens. Such was Solomon Shaver, Eagle Point, the county line between Carroll and Ogle, west of Polo. He had arrived here in 1835, an early settler "noted for his radical concern for Abolition and Temperance." He openly advocated violation of the Fugitive Slave Law. His "station" on the Underground Railroad was called "Shaver's Hollow," no code word for him but a straight-forward identity, like it or not! He was not shy about revealing his stance on any issue, any time, anyplace. Although he was not a constant church-goer preachers, in his case, were just as glad he didn't show up ... "He'd never fail to interrupt the sermon to argue doctrine of faith and duty!" It is written that Uncle Sol had runaway slaves delivered to him from Fulton (last week) and he transported them onward to Byron where there were at least three "safe houses." It was rumored that there was a network of tunnels under the town linking hideouts. Byron history claimed that the Railroad was in operation between about 1842 to 1862. The last known straw-covered wagon in '62 carried thirteen slaves, quite an impressive delivery. Uncle Sol or other local conductors could have received "passengers" from the south also; Princeton where the dedicated Owen Lovejoy worked so hard following the martyrdom of his brother years earlier. Via Dixon they'd come where there is known of at least one safe house ... "Those conductors eluded even U.S. Marshalls who'd come through looking for stolen property." Mt. Morris was said to be a place to avoid by Uncle Solomon because most of the first settlers were from Maryland, a southern sympathizing state. (Maryland Colony was just one neighborhood!) Naturally, the entire Shaver family assisted in the Railroad work. Mrs. Shaver, "Aunt Hannah," once made a flag, 2 ft. x 3 ft. in blue fabric covered with white stars. But no stripes adorned it. When asked where were the stripes, Uncle Sol would cry out, "On the Nigger's backs, damn you." Yes, Uncle Sol never ignored opportunity to make his opinions known on Abolition or Temperance. Once he offered to help hang a man who'd been selling whiskey in violation of the law. Many others worked diligently for the rights of the escaping slave ... Jared Sanford, Deacon Knowlton, Preacher George Gammell, others, all of whom helped the runaway onward to Wisconsin where were other safe houses such as the Octagon House at Milton, now open to the public (PDQ Me - 7/14/99). Shaver's close neighbors, the John Waterburys' were also conductors, a handy situation if times were sensitive. Mary Waterbury, in fact, carried on their "occupation" after the Civil War by working for the Freedman's Bureau in the South (PDQ Me - 11/26/97). It is said that both the Shavers' and the Waterburys' had Negro children living with them for sometime. They attended the nearby Donaldson School. Some of the local did not believe in this "integration" so built a school of their own for their children. The Donaldson School was burned to the ground for some reason but that did not alter the thinking of the Anti-Slavery people. They built another! There were no strict boundaries on which the Railroad ran. The path could change each time. Just south of Eagle Point's safe houses lived Quaker Joe Wilson, a busy miller. Quaker's are also of Anti-Slave bent and with other Quaker families may well have harbored the escapees (PDQ Me - 1/21, 28 & 2/4/1987). As early as 1848 the local churches were saying something about the Abolitionist cause. At Buffalo Grove, predecessor of Polo, an Independent Presbyterian Church was organized with these rules adopted by the original eleven members. (1.) No slaveholders or advocates of the rightfulness of slaveholding shall be admitted to membership in this church; (2). No persons shall be received into membership who are unwilling to pledge themselves to abstain from the making, vending or using of intoxicating beverages. As you see abolitionism and temperance truly were issues of consequence in that day. And there were people who took a stand. There are numerous anecdotes scattered throughout the history of the long ago to tell us of the courage and dedication on which our forerunners took position. Thanks. We know very little exact about the extent of the Underground Railroad in our area. Nor do we realize that a brave heart it took to openly espouse the cause. Just remember that in our long ago our neighbors laid a foundation for might and right, another impressive chapter in the myriad stories that made America. We still haven't learned for certain that our safe houses put out a quilt to signal the runaway or the conductor. Of if anyone wondered what the heck that quilt was doing hanging out in the night air, the usual time for the transport (PDQ Me - 9/20/2006). But when we read about the "radicals," the "fanatics," the steadfast people among us they surely must have oft times traveled in the daylight and would have seen a quilt if one was out. We here in our neighborhoods were quite a "Crossroads" west to east, south to north in that formative time of our history.
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