This past Saturday almost everyone involved with the Michiana Freedom Trails Initiative traveled throughout Cass and Van Buren counties in Michigan to learn about our area’s role in the Underground Railroad.

The foundation marker corner for the Chain Lakes Missionary Baptist Church, founded in 1838.

We first traveled to Chain Lakes Missionary Baptist Church and Cemetery to

The Chain Lakes Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery. Some African American graves here date back prior to 1800.

visit the oldest African American church congregation in Michigan. The congregation was started by free blacks in 1838. The church also maintains a cemetery which has graves of Africans Americans prior to 1800.

Some of the students on the trip accidentally found some of their relatives buried in this cemetery!

The Bonine family home located at the corner of Penn Rd. and M-60 in Cass County, Michigan.

We then traveled to Vandalia, Michigan and stopped to look at the Bonine home.  The Bonines were instrumental in helping escaped slaves establish themselves by providing them an acre of land that they would clear and farm.  The Bonine home is currently in a sad state of repair.  It is for sale and a group recently formed is meeting to explore how to save and restore this important piece of local Underground Railroad history.

We also stopped in downtown Vandalia at the historic marker denoting the

Underground Railroad historic marker in Vandalia, Michigan.

area’s role in the Underground Railroad.

The group visited the Ampey family farmstead in Van Buren County where Mr. Sherman Ampey shared his family’s history with us and how his African American ancestors farmed the area.

We ended our trip of discovery in downtown Battle Creek, Michigan at the Sojourner Truth memorial.  This 8-foot tall monument depicts the struggle that escaped slaves had to endure to find freedom in the North.  Sojourner Truth is depicted as a ‘conductor’ helping escaped slaves find freedom in Michigan and Canada.  Sojourner Truth died in Battle Creek and is buried there.

The Sojourner Truth memorial in downtown Battle Creek, Michigan.

You can find more photos from the Michiana Freedom Trails trip of discovery on the “Photos” section of this blog.

-Travis, MFTI blog administrator

p.s. If you went on Saturday’s trip, feel free to add your comments…
p.s.s If you have any photos you want me to post, just email them to: education@centerforhistory.org