Largest Underground Railroad Monument in the U.S. is in Battle Creek
Calhoun County was an important stop on the Underground Railroad.
The largest Underground Railroad monument in the entire United States is located in Battle Creek, Michigan. The sculpture was created by Ed Dwight of Denver, Colorado. The monument is 28 feet long and stands 14 feet high. It is the biggest monument dedicated to a very important part of American history.
The individuals depicted in the front are Harriet Tubman and Erastus Hussey. The sculpture, made of bronze, is shiny where countless hands have touched it. While Tubman never spent time in Battle Creek her influence on individuals within the community including Hussey and his wife Sarah was significant.
Funds to purchase the impressive monument came in the form of a gift from the Glenn A. Cross Estate and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, according to the memorial marker adjacent to the monument.
Battle Creek and nearby Marshall were both were known for residents who were welcoming to those escaping slavery. Erastus and Sarah Hussey were Quakers, abolitionists, and conductors for the Underground Railroad. Their home became a main station for the Underground Railroad.
Their station route had stops every 15 miles between Cass County and Detroit. They included Climax, Battle Creek, Marshall, Albion, Grass Lake, Ann Arbor, Plymouth, and finally Detroit where the escapees could cross over into Canada, according to Wikipedia.
Hussey and his wife Sarah are believed to have helped more the 2,000 people find freedom and escape the confines of slavery.
Tubman was born a slave and despite her awful start in life, she made an indelible mark in the world. Tubman was able to escape and make her way to freedom. Not content with procuring her freedom, Tubman made 13 missions to rescue approximately 70 other enslaved people.
During the Civil War, Tubman worked as a scout and spy for the Union Army. Tubman would then go on to become an activist for women's right to vote.
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