UNDERGROUND RAILROAD ROUTE

Mobile, Alabama to Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario

May 10 - June 15, 2008

In the late 1700s and early 1800s thousands of US slaves attempted to escape the South and flee to the North and to Canada to their freedom.  The official name of these routes is the Underground Railroad.  While neither underground nor a railroad it did provide the runaway slaves a method of escaping to where slavery was forbidden.  Around 1831 it was dubbed "The Underground Railroad," after the then emerging steam railroads. The system even used terms used in railroading: the homes and businesses where fugitives would rest and eat were called "stations" and "depots" and were run by "stationmasters," those who contributed money or goods were "stockholders," and the "conductor" was responsible for moving fugitives from one station to the next.

The following is the journal of my trip on a bicycle along these same pathways that the brave men and women took in pursuit of their freedom.   Unlike them, I will be traveling during the daylight hours without fear of being chased by my "owner".  I will be well taken care of by the company I signed with (WomanTours  www.womantours.com) and will accomplish the trip in six weeks rather than over a year.  Like those before me, I will travel no matter what the weather, however.

 

May 9    Mobile, Al May 28  Brandenburg to Louisville, Ky
May 10    Mobile to Bay Minette, Al May 29  Louisville, Ky Rest Day
May 11     Bay Minette to Jackson, AL May 30  Louisville to Madison, IN
May 12    Jackson, AL Rest Day May 31  Madison to Dry Ridge, KY
May 13    Jackson to Demopolis, AL June 1    Dry Ridge to Maysville, KY
May 14    Demopolis to Eutaw, AL June 2    Mayville to Milford, OH
May 15    Eutaw to Columbus, MS June 3    Milford, OH Rest Day
May 16    Columbus, MS Rest Day June 4    Milford to Xenia, OH
May 17    Columbus to Fulton, MS June 5    Xenia to Dublin, OH
May 18    Fulton to Pickwick Dam, TN June 6    Dublin to Mt. Vernon, OH
May 19    Pickwick Dam to Parsons, TN June 7    Mt Vernon to Oberlin, OH
May 20   Parsons to Waverly, TN June 8    Oberlin, OH Rest Day
May 21     Waverly to Dover, TN June 9    Oberlin to Hudson, OH
May 22    Dover to Grand Rivers, KY June 10  Hudson to Austinburg, OH
May 23    Grand Rivers, KY Rest Day June 11  Austinburg to Erie, PA
May 24    Grand Rivers to Morganfield, KY June 12  Erie to Hamburg, NY
May 25    Morgenfield to Henderson, KY June 13  Hamburg to Niagara Falls, Ont
May 26    Henderson to Lewisport, KY June 14  Niagara Falls, to Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont
May 27    Lewisport to Brandenburg, Ky June 15  Shuttle to Buffalo, NY