Legacies of Michigan’s Underground Railroad: Battle Creek
One of the last stops before Canada, Michigan played a vital role in the Underground Railroad network by harboring and guiding freedom seekers across the border. Operating from roughly 1820 to 1860 with several “depots” in Detroit as well as other parts of Michigan, the Underground Railroad helped usher thousands of people on their journey to freedom.
In the same city where abolitionist Sojourner Truth made her home, two sites have been accepted into the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program — a National Park Service collection of over 800 locations nationwide that are connected to the Underground Railroad. This acceptance came thanks to the efforts of two undergraduate students from the University of Michigan, Sara DeSmet and Michael Delphia, who worked with guidance from the Michigan History Center and the government-appointed Michigan Freedom Trail Commission.
Erastus and Sarah Hussey Store and House
Erastus and Sarah Hussey, with their daughter Susan, were a Quaker family and leading abolitionists who opened their home and dry goods store to freedom seekers. Erastus was the editor of the Michigan Liberty Press, an antislavery newspaper with the motto “Eternal enmity to all kinds of oppression.” He later served as a state senator who helped introduce Michigan’s Personal Liberty Act that outlawed the capture of runaway slaves in Michigan. Today, on the grounds of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, you’ll find a Michigan Historical Marker commemorating Erastus Hussey, including his quote: “I have fed and given protection to over 1,000 fugitives, and assisted them on to Canada.”
Gravesite of Perry Sanford
Perry Sanford escaped slavery in Kentucky, traveling north through the Underground Railroad. He survived the 1847 Kentucky Raid when a group of Kentucky enslavers raided Cass County in an attempt to kidnap freedom seekers from Quaker farms. From Battle Creek, Erastus Hussey had tried to warn locals about the raid, but local resistance ultimately led to legal challenges and the freedom seekers were able to escape. Though Sanford was gravely injured during the raid, he and others made their way to Battle Creek where he lived out the rest of his days. Instead of crossing the border to Canada, he found refuge with the Hussey family and became a prominent member of Battle Creek. He died at age 85 and is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, where his gravesite is now honored as part of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.
Sojourner Truth
Among the many heroes who resided in Battle Creek, Sojourner Truth left a remarkable legacy. An advocate for civil rights and women’s equality, Truth made her home in Battle Creek where she lived out the rest of her years. Today, you can see her gravesite at Oak Hill Cemetery, and visit the towering Sojourner Truth Monument on the corner of North Division Street and East Michigan Avenue. Nearby is a mural dedicated to the outspoken activist, backed by the words, “Truth is powerful and it prevails.”
Near the Kellogg House stands one of the nation’s largest Underground Railroad monuments — depicting Harriet Tubman standing with Erastus and Sarah Hussey as they lead people to freedom.
Discover more important stops along the Underground Railroad in the Michigan History Center’s interactive Freedom Trail map.