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Underground Railroad in Friendsville

Date – Time

Wednesday – 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Location

Friendsville City Hall

Additional Information

Join a small group of high school history students for a guided tour of several Underground Railroad sites in Friendsville this coming Wednesday, February 3rd.

While this is a high school group, please note that there will be at least one other opportunity if all of your children are in elementary. If that still isn't enough to fit all who want to go, we will be glad to facilitate more tours. 

Itinerary for this Wednesday: 

1. We will first meet our guide, Mrs. Sandy Bell, at Friendsville City Hall at 1 p.m. She will begin with the history of Friendsville which was founded by the Quakers, thus the name Friendsville. Sandy’s family has lived in downtown Friendsville for generations. One of her Great Aunts even ran a boarding house when Friendsville was an actual train stop.

2. From this location, we will drive to the Friends Church where we will see the cemetery which has some historical markers, Civil War graves, and a view of the creek used as part of the Underground Railroad. She will speak specifically about the Friends religion and their beliefs which made them sympathetic to their fellow man.

3. We may drive from there to another location on Lake Street to park and hear about the cave at that location. It should be close enough for us to walk there, but Sandy will drive to meet us there. She has impending knee surgery. She will speak about the Underground Railroad in general and specifically about the Friendsville section as we go along.

4. From that location, or once back at our cars, we will drive to the Academy Farm Subdivision which is the best place to get near the hill where another cave is located. Unfortunately, both caves are on private property and not open to the public, but this tour should still be very enlightening. 

Our guide, Mrs. Sandy Bell, has stipulated that masks are required at all times we are gathered and kindly requests that we maintain social distance from her, as her husband has a serious heart condition.

Please sign up anyone who will be there (parents, too), as we have only 14 spaces remaining after students/parents  in my history class are counted.