Underground Railroad in Washington County
Last updated 25 Sept 2020
The State Historical Society of Iowa has a collection that 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 Washington County:
Abolitionists
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.
Allen, James (Crawfordsville)
Crawford, Melissa (Crawfordsville)
Crawford, Sarah (Crawfordsville)
Crawford, Thompson (Crawfordsville)
Farley, Isaac (Wassonville)
Fields, Dr. N. G. (Wassonville)?
Fisher/Frisbee (?), Myron (Wassonville)
Kendall, Andrew (Washington)
Kendall, Nancy Jones (Washington)
Kilgore, John L. (Washington)
Kilgore, Martin (Washington)
Matthews, Samuel (Washington)
Meacham, Alfred (Clay Township)
Mills, Manning (Clay Township)
Morgan, Henry (Clay Township)
Morrow, William (Crawfordsville)
Rankin, Nancy Crawford (Crawfordsville)
Rankin, Samuel E. (Crawfordsville)
Reed, William H. Sr. (Clay Township)
Russell, Samuel (Crawfordsville) or (Washington)?
Smith, Thomas (Crawfordsville)
Vincent, Rev. George C. (Seceders) (Washington)
Woodin, George (Wassonville)
Yockey, Daniel (Wassonville)
Anti-Slavery
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.
Kilgore, Joseph (Washington)
Maxwell, John (?) (Crawfordsville)
Reed, Eugene L. (Clay Township)
Associated with John Brown
Associated with John Brown: One who assisted John Brown 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.
Allen, James (Crawfordsville)
Crawford, Melissa (Crawfordsville)
Crawford, Sarah (Crawfordsville)
Crawford, Thompson (Crawfordsville)
Morrow, William (Crawfordsville)
Conductors/Station Agents
Conductor: One who worked as an Underground Railroad agent by moving fugitive slaves from one point to another. Station Agent: One who worked as an Underground Railroad agent by hiding fugitive slaves in their homes, barns, or elsewhere on their property. One could be both a conductor and a station agent but not necessarily both.
Farley, Isaac (Wassonville)
Fields, Dr. Newton G. (Wassonville)
Fisher/Frisbee?, Myron (Wassonville)?
Kendall, Andrew (Washington)
Kendall, Nancy Jones (Washington)
Kilgore, David (Washington)
Kilgore, Jane Latta (Washington)
Kilgore, John L. (Washington)
Kilgore, Martin (Washington)
Kilgore, Mary Ann Meek (Washington)
Kilgore, Robert (Washington)
Matthews, Samuel (Washington)
Maxwell, John? (Crawfordsville)?
Meachum, Alfred (Clay Township)
Mills, Manning (Clay Township)?
Morgan, Henry (Clay Township)
Rankin, Nancy Crawford (Crawfordsville)
Rankin, Samuel (Crawfordsville)
Rankin, Walker (Crawfordsville)
Reed, Eugene L. (Clay Township)
Reed, William, Sr. (Clay Township)
Woodin, George (Wassonville)
Yockey, Daniel (Wassonville)
Free African-Americans
Free African-Americans: One of a relatively small number of African-Americans who were not slaves. They may have been granted their freedom from their owners, bought their freedom, or by a grant of freedom from the state of residence.
Black, George (Washington)
Freedom Seekers
Freedom Seekers: A modern term to describe the same thing as the traditional term, fugitive slave.
Hanna, Henry (?) (TBD)