abolitionists

J T Updegraff

J T Updegraff

Jonathan Taylor (J.T.) Updegraff, well known physician and surgeon, member of congress, owner and trainer of fine horses. 1822-1882.   J. T. Updegraff was born in 1822 to David and Rebecca (Taylor) Updegraff, on a farm just west of Mt. Pleasant. It was there that he spent his boyhood days....Read more
Moses Fleetwood Walker

Moses Fleetwood Walker

    Moses Fleetwood Walker (1857-1924) was born in Mount Pleasant, Jefferson Co. The son of Dr Moses W Walker (1821-?) and Carolina Ohara (1823-1893). In 1883, Fleet Walker was signed to play for the Toledo Blue Stockings, a minor-league team in the Northwestern League. In 1884 the team became...Read more
Colonization or Assimilation?

Colonization or Assimilation?

  Where would the freed slaves live once emancipation was achieved? Some favored assimilation, while others like Benjamin Lundy supported colonization. Lundy traveled to Haiti, Mexico, Texas and Canada looking for suitable land to settle the freed slaves on.  The American Colonization Society purchased land on the West Coast of...Read more
Immediate or Gradual Emancipation?

Immediate or Gradual Emancipation?

Continuing our previous abolitionists post. Many Northern whites, especially the Irish immigrants, feared there would be greater competition for laboring jobs particularly if the slaves were freed all at one time. In the late 18th century, after the Revolutionary War, some Northern states abolished slavery altogether.  Others like Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New...Read more
Abolition

Abolition

We know that Mount Pleasant was an abolitionist of stronghold from contemporary accounts, as early as 1817. However, even among the abolitionists there was derision.  Not everyone agreed on how to end slavery. Some believed in an immediate end to slavery, others like Benjamin Lundy supported a gradual end, essentially...Read more

Floral Valley, an Alternate Route

Richard Naylor, and Henry and Sam Cooper, all freedmen operated a station at Floral Valley.  By playing the role of a drunkard, Richard “Dick” Naylor was able to aid fugitives in Wheeling who he later ferried across the Ohio River to Martinsville (Martins Ferry) and often led them to Emerson...Read more

VanPelt, Pointer, the Second Station

Just atop the hill overlooking Martins Ferry was Jacob Van Pelt’s farm, on the back side of Van Pelt’s in Buckeye Hollow was Thomas and Maria Pointer’s cabin. Van Pelt’s home was considered the second stop, but there were several clustered together including, Tobias Hanse, who operated a flouring mill...Read more

Joshua Cope, the Third Station

Sometimes called the third station was Joshua Cope’s mill. It was located midway between Martins Ferry and Emerson. Joshua Cope was known to frequent the slave auction across the Ohio River in Wheeling, Virginia, where he would purchase slaves to free them.Read more

Joel Wood, The First Station

The home of Joel and Elizabeth McGrew Wood was considered the first stop on the UGRR in Martins Ferry. In 1892 he wrote, “ All of the fugitives came to us from Wheeling or in that vicinity. From here they were taken to Trenton [now Emerson] Jefferson Co. to old...Read more
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