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John Brown Freedom Trail 1859 through Iowa
Item 14 of 16
This is a contributing entry for John Brown Freedom Trail 1859 through Iowa and only appears as part of that tour.Learn More.
The Underground Railroad and Iowa John Brown Freedom Trail 1859 - Stop Number Fourteen Iowa Freedom Trail Project

The Underground Railroad and Iowa

John Brown Freedom Trail 1859 - Stop Number Fourteen: Springdale Iowa

Iowa Freedom Trail Project

After sneaking through Iowa City, the John Brown entourage arrived in Springdale on February 25, 1859. Springdale was a Quaker hamlet established in 1854 and Brown and his men had spent the previous winter there, staying with William Maxon and conducting military drill. This time, the group would stay in Springdale for two weeks before boarding trains to Chicago.

After Brown’s raid in Missouri was published in newspapers a reward was offered for his capture. This concerned residents of Springdale and the posted sentries in case a mob from Iowa City might try to intercept him at Springdale.

Two men from Springdale, brothers Barclay and Edwin Coppoc, joined Brown’s force. They continued with Brown until the failed raid on the US Federal Arsenal at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Edwin was captured and hung after the attack, while Barclay escaped. He went on to serve as a Lieutenant in the US Army and died in a train crash over the Platte River in 1861.

A historic marker is located at Springdale Friends Cemetery, a nearby publicly accessible site near the location of the former Maxon home (see photo). 

Next Stop: West Liberty

Iowa and the Underground Railroad

https://iowaculture.gov/sites/default/files/History%20-%20Education%20-%20Lifelong%20Learning%20-%20Iowa%20Underground%20Railroad%20(PDF).pdf