IAGenWeb - Scott County

The State Historical Society of Iowa's has a collection which includes county-level inventories of people and places associated with the Underground Railroad. The following have been identified as associated with the Underground Railroad in Cedar County.

(**) indicates the individual has been researched by the Iowa Freedom Trail Project and a biographical form is on file at the State Historical Research Center in Des Moines.

For additional info visit the SHSI Underground Railroad in Iowa Collection online at
https://history.iowa.gov/history/research/collections/featured-topics/underground-railroad-iowa

Transcribed and submitted by Lynn McCleary, May 7, 2024

Inventory of Places in Scott County: The following is a list of places that have been identified as significant in Underground Railroad activity in Iowa. Iowa Freedom Trail place files are available for research purposes at the State Historical Research Center in Des Moines.

Antoine Le Claire House (Davenport) National Register of Historic Places #74000809

Burr & Swift (Davenport)

Iowa College (Davenport)

The Le Claire House (Davenport)

Oakdale Cemetery Historic District (Davenport)~ (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)

Town of Le Claire

Abolitionist: One who either demanded the immediate abolition of slavery or who showed ferocious hostility to the institution of slavery. Individuals who were both antislavery and abolitionist are listed only as abolitionist.

**	Brownlie, James (Long Grove)
**	Cody, Isaac (Le Claire and Butler Township)
**	Davies, John L. (Davenport)
**	Dutton, Jerome (Allen’s Grove Township)
**	Eaton, Lucien (Davenport)
**	Emerson, Rev. Oliver (Davenport )
**	Fleming, William H. (Le Claire, Davenport)
**	Gilbert, Caroline Pitts (Gilbert, now Bettendorf)
**	Gilbert, Elias S. (Gilbert, now Bettendorf)
**	Gould, Daniel (Davenport)
**	Gould, Sarah Earle (Davenport)
**	Gue, Benjamin F. (Liberty Township)
**	Gue, David J. (Liberty Township)
**	Hitchcock, Rev. Allen B. (Le Claire, Davenport, Moline)
**	Hitchcock, Jared Beecher (Davenport)
**	Lischer, Henry (Davenport)
**	Price, Hiram (Davenport)
**	Russell, Edward (Le Clair and Davenport)
**	Russell, Rebecca Elizabeth Fleming (Le Claire)
**	Russell, William (Le Claire)
**	Rutledge, Rev. William (Le Claire and Davenport)
**	Tade, Rev. Ewing Ogden (Davenport—Iowa College)
**	Thompson, James (Davenport)
**	Thorington, James (Davenport)
**	Windsor, Rev. William (Davenport) Anti-Abolitionists

Anti-AbolitionistsOne who opposed the abolition of slavery—this could include slave owners, slave catchers, states' rights supporters, or anyone who simply opposed the views of abolitionists and other anti-slavery people.

**	Summers, Laurel (Le Claire, US Marshall)

Anti-Slavery: One who disliked slavery but did not necessarily demand the immediate abolition of slavery. Individuals listed as anti-slavery were not known abolitionists.

**	Adams, Eli (Davenport)
**	Cody, Isaac (Le Claire and Butler Township)
**	Dutton, Celinda Parker (Allen’s Grove Township)
**	Holmes, Margaretta Wynkoop Lombaert (Davenport)
**	Holmes, William H. (Davenport)
**	Ripley, Rev. Prof. Erastus (Davenport, Iowa College, Iowa Band)
**	Russell, Lydia Rutledge (Le Claire and Davenport)
**	Rutledge, Sarah Ann Sharpe (Le Claire and Davenport)
**	Sanders, Addison H. (Davenport)
**	Sanders, Alfred (Davenport)
**	Thorington, James (Davenport)

Associated with Jim Lane: One who assisted Jim Lane while he was conducting fugitive slaves out of Kansas and through Iowa during the 1850s. This could be direct help, financial assistance, or other networking.

**	Cody, Isaac (Le Clair and Butler Township)
**	Gue, Benjamin F. (Liberty Township)
**	Gue, David (Liberty Township)
**	Price, Hiram (Davenport)

Conductor/Station Agent: One who worked as an Underground Railroad agent by moving fugitive slaves from one point to another.

**	Davies, John L. (Davenport)
**	Dutton, Jerome (Allen’s Grove Township)
**	Eaton, Lucian (Davenport)
**	Gilbert, Caroline E. Pitts (Gilbert, now Bettendorf)
**	Gilbert, Elias S. (Gilbert, now Bettendorf)
	Gilbraith, Thomas (Davenport) (?)
**	Gould, Daniel (Davenport)
**	Gould, Sarah Earle (Davenport)
**	Holmes, Margaretta Wynkoop Lombaert (Davenport)
**	Holmes, William H. (Davenport)
**	Price, Hiram (Davenport)
**	Ripley, Rev. Prof. Erastus (Davenport, Iowa College, Iowa Band)
**	Russell, Edward (Le Claire and Davenport)
**	Russell, Lydia Rutledge (Le Claire and Davenport)
**	Russell, Rebecca Elizabeth Fleming (Le Claire)
**	Russell, William (Le Claire)
**	Rutledge, Sarah Ann Sharpe (Le Claire and Davenport)
**	Rutledge, Rev. William (Le Claire)
**	Tade, Rev. Ewing Ogden (Davenport—Iowa College)

Freedom Seekers: A modern term to describe the same thing as the traditional term, fugitive slave.

	Busey, Jacob (Davenport)
	Busey, Matilda (Davenport)
	Busey, Thomas (Davenport)
	Busey-Ford, Elizabeth (Davenport)
	Bush, Moses (Davenport)
	Hart, Leedon or Leidon (Davenport)
	Houston, General (Davenport)
	Howard, Milton (Davenport)
	Lewis, Betty (Davenport)
	McGaw, Henry (Davenport)
	McGaw, Scott (Davenport)
	Twiggs, Alonzo (Davenport)

Slave: One who was owned under the law by another.

Sims, Aunt Rhody (Davenport)

Slave Owner: One who had rights under the law to own other humans, nearly all of African descent, under common chattel laws.

**	Emerson, Dr. John (Davenport)
**	Hildreth, William (Davenport)

Unknown Status: People who have been identified as somehow connected with abolitionists, antislavery people, associates of Jim Lane or John Brown, anti-abolitionists, slaves, fugitive slaves, or bounty hunters/kidnappers/slave catchers, but whose identity has not been clearly established as falling in any of these categories.

Lincoln, “Old Daddy” (Le Claire)