The Underground Railroad in Indiana: The Freedom Train
Presentation 5/11/26 at the Indianapolis Scientech Club by Alicia and Jeff Rasley
Summary written by Judy Weitzman
The Underground Railroad began in the 1810s and was especially important in the fight against slavery in the USA. Organizers were highly influenced by lessons from the European Enlightenment Period as well as the US Declaration of Independence that emphasized that “all men are created equal.” The Fugitive Slave Acts of 1793 and 1850 made it illegal to assist escaped slaves, so the Underground Railroad needed to remain covert even in “free states” like Indiana.
This hidden path to safety and freedom, although known as a railway, had no train stations, railcars, or distinguishable paths. Volunteers, known as agents, pilots and conductors helped people escape enslavement by escorting them along escape routes and hiding them in their own homes – known as way stations.
A separate vocabulary of coded words helped protect the secrecy of the Underground Railroad. The Big Dipper (whose “bowl” points to the North Star) was known as the “drinking gourd”. The Railroad was often known as the “freedom train” and Canada was called “the Promised Land.” The Ohio River was known as the River Jordan.
Indiana became an important hub for a couple of reasons. Its geography was easy to cross. Quaker and Methodist communities were deeply involved in its operations, and the Hoosier State was progressive in terms of abolition. The Indiana Constitution, adopted in 1816, outlawed slavery. Even though slavery was not allowed, the federal Fugitive Slave Acts of 1793 and 1850 allowed those who escaped to be recaptured in northern states and returned to slave states.
But the Indiana Supreme Court heard a case in 1820 that aided freedom seekers by establishing the illegality of slavery. This case was brought by the well-named Polly Strong, a teenager held as a slave by the businessman Hyacinthe Lasselle. The court held that she could no longer be enslaved despite her oppressor’s argument that she was born into slavery before the constitution was enacted.
As early as 1849 Hoosiers helped establish safe communities for escaped slaves. One example ws Lyles Station, founded by Joshua Lyles in Gibson County near Princeton. Lyles’s efforts led to the establishment of a thriving community with a school, church, and post office, and later became a “station” along the Railroad. It now serves as a historical and agricultural education center,
George Boxley came to Indiana as a fugitive from justice and settled in Sheridan. He had been a slaveowner but due to his religious faith became an abolitionist. Boxley was accused of fomenting a slave rebellion in Virginia. For that he was jailed but made his escape with the help of a metal file provided by his wife. Boxley, his family, a number of former slaves and Native Americans settled in Sheridan, Indiana, in a community that is known now as the first rainbow community mixing different races and cultures.
Another “rainbow community,” Roberts Chapel, was established north of Indianapolis in verdant farmland. Roberts Chapel is an early integrated settlement with a beautifully restored chapel, a carefully tended graveyard, and a legacy path with exhibits about the history of the village. The Roberts settlement started in North Carolina before 1800 with a melting pot group of early Americans– free African Americans, English indentured servants, and Native Americans who had resisted relocation. They built a village there with farms and houses. But they lived in fear that their relatives and children might get captured and enslaved, so they moved to central Indiana close to abolitionist Methodist and Quaker congregations. Descendants of that community return annually for reunions.
The Underground Railroad in Indiana was a collaboration between different faith groups, political activists, and races. As freedom became accessible for former slaves, many African-Americans served as conductors along the Railroad route. For example, Chapman Harris and Elijah Johnson sheltered over 800 escaped slaves in their cabins along the Ohio River. Both faced significant risks, and Anderson served four years in prison for his work.
Music played a vital role in communicating messages among those involved in the Underground Railroad, with songs like “Go Down Moses” and “Freedom Train” serving as coded messages to help freed0m-seekers find their way north. Success depended on community involvement and courage.
Jeff and Alicia encouraged everyone to get engaged with local history and to recognize the importance of recognizing those who participated in the abolitionist movement.
Here’s a great civil-rights era (1968) song that connects that 20th Century freedom movement with the one in the 19th Century: Freedom Train by James Carr.