Hidden in Plain Sight

Jackson County residents risked their lives to feed, lodge and transport fugitives who entered this southcentral Michigan county on their way to freedom in Canada, where slavery was outlawed. Fugitives faced even more danger, not only in making cross-country escapes, but in risking torture if recaptured. This book takes an in-depth look at these brave souls, including a male fugitive whose recapture almost launched a mini-Civil War in Jackson and a female fugitive whose descendants continue to reside in Jackson. Agents include a zealous anti-slavery editor whose office was torched and a Concord Township couple whose love letters are immortalized in archives. Who were these fugitives and agents, what were their personal experiences and how did they keep their activities hidden in plain sight? This book will answer these questions, enlivened by first person accounts. It also includes a self-guided walking tour of local landmarks connected to the Underground Railroad and additional perspectives from local historians, humanitarians and a Canadian historian specializing in the Underground Railroad in her country.