The Underground Railroad in the Adirondack Town of Chester

Donna Lagoy, Laura Seldman

• Publisher: The History Press
• Year: 2016
• ISBN:
  9781625857019
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: North American History
• Index: History

The Town of Chester in upstate Warren County, New York, was a secret haven for runaway slaves escaping to Canada along the Underground Railroad. The small Adirondack town holds as many as nine confirmed or suspected sites where fugitives once found shelter. Stories abound of residents discovering secret rooms containing beds and other artifacts within their homes. The first abolitionist pastor of the Darrowsville Wesleyan Church, Reverend Thomas Baker, reportedly hid fugitive slaves in the parsonage. Color photographs and interviews with current residents illuminate the region's hidden history with the Underground Railroad movement. With the support of the Historical Society of the Town of Chester, Donna Lagoy and Laura Seldman reveal these courageous stories of local families who risked everything in the pursuit of freedom for all.

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Part I: Looking at History
• Part II: Found
• Appendix A. Timeline
• Appendix B. Gerrit Smith’s Tour—Warren County 147
• Appendix C. Abel Brown’s Memoirs—Chester 151
• Appendix D. Numbers of Runaway Slaves 155
• Notes
• Bibliography
• About the Authors