By Theresa Attalla

The Underground Railroad in Ohio was an efficient and well-organized operation as several routes were established through forests, farms towns and along the Ohio River. Westerville counted itself among those stops that harbored runaway slaves in their treacherous travels north.

The Westerville Public Library, Westerville Parks and Recreation Department and Westerville Historical Society will present a program celebrating the city’s role in working toward freedom. “Westerville’s Freedom Trail” is Oct. 2-4 at Heritage Park, 60 N. Cleveland Ave. The program will include 11 sessions of 25 participants each getting an intimate look at these slaves’ journeys.

The participants will be loaded into a wagon, travel to a barn and “be sold” into slavery at a mock auction.

“They will be running away on the Underground Railroad and visiting different sites (in the park) and different people,” says Beth Weinhardt, local history coordinator at the library. “They will encounter some of the simulated dangers a person would have encountered during the time.”

The groups will be taken to Everal Barn and Homestead, located on the grounds of the 52-acre park. Built in the 1800s, it is a great example of where runaway slaves hid during their journey.

“Our park is a beautiful setting for their adventure on the Underground Railroad,” says Phyllis Self, recreation administrator. “As soon as they step onto that wagon, their experience will begin.”

Participants can also expect to encounter notable local historical figures such as George Stoner, Bishop William Hanby, his son Benjamin Hanby and Garrett Sharp.

Stoner carried runaway slaves from Columbus to Westerville, where he brought them to his inn (Stoner Inn), fed them and housed them in the basement. Benjamin Hanby, famous for composing Darling Nellie Gray and Up on the Housetop, ran a busy station on the Underground Railroad with his father William. Sharp, an abolitionist, hid slaves on his properties in northern Franklin and southern Delaware Counties.

The library, Parks and Rec and the historical society collaborated for several years before the Freedom Trail program finally came to life. The script was written by Harriet Merriman and Weinhardt and is directed by Linda Sopp.

“It has been something we were thinking about for awhile,” Weinhardt says. “We resurrected the idea and have finally made it happen.”

The experience of creating the Freedom Trail has been fantastic, Self adds, but it isn’t the only program in town that will focus on slavery. Educational workshops for community members are available, as well.

The library is preparing complementary reading lists for the general public to learn about all aspects of the Underground Railroad, making the experience as comprehensive as possible.

“Our goal is to make people aware of feelings of the person running away, but you can’t completely duplicate it,” Weinhardt says. “To tell more of the Westerville history and the dangers runaways faced is important. We are trying to bring those all into place in a script so that we can focus peoples’ attention on how many different dangers there were if you undertook the journey.”

Tickets for the Underground Railroad Experience are $10. The program is suggested for those 12 and older because of sensitive subject matter. The escape route is not wheelchair accessible and participants are advised to wear sturdy walking shoes and dress appropriately for the weather. For more information, visit www.westerville.org.

Theresa Attalla is a contributing writer for Westerville Magazine.