Historic photos on display at the Multicultural Genealogical Center.
A TALE OF TWO STATIONS Explore the History of These Hidden Underground Railroad Stops STORY BY DESTINIEE JARAM | PHOTOS BY LAUREN PAPP
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n the 19th century, over 40,000 people traveled the Underground Railroad of Southeast Ohio on their journey to freedom from slavery. These routes were quietly traveled by conductors and slaves seeking freedom during the 1800s. The locations and hiding spots of the Underground Railroad were such well-kept secrets—they are still being discovered.
A SECRET RING
A former station on the Underground Railroad sits in Millfield: The brick Weethee home was a refuge for escaped slaves during the 1840s and 1850s. Abolitionist Daniel Weethee built the house in 1804. It is centered around an exceptionally large brick chimney. The chimney is no longer functional, but like the rest of the 216-year-old building, it is made of the original wood, stone and brick. The current owner, Dane McCarthy, lived in the house in his 20s and bought it more recently. “I bought the house because I used to live in 26 | WINTER/SPRING 2021
it, and I always loved the house,” McCarthy says. “It was like coming back home or something. The furniture I had left 25 years before was still here; an envelope was even addressed to me on the floor.” McCarthy says he heard rumors from Millfield residents that the Weethee house was part of the Underground Railroad. He contacted Weethee’s great-granddaughter, Bernarda Bryson-Shahn. Bryson Shahn, an artist, told McCarthy she and a friend were once playing in the attic when they found a large ring attached to a door. When lifted, the ring revealed a stairway. In the dark and cramped stairway, enslaved Americans would spend days and nights silently hiding in the home of benevolent strangers, trusting them to protect their safety as they traveled for freedom on the Underground Railroad. The hideaway for freedom seekers in the Weethee house is now concealed in a seven-foottall walk-in closet. Aside from a door and a step
