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John Brown Freedom Trail 1859 through Iowa
Item 2 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 in Iowa John Brown Freedom Trail 1859 - Stop Number Two Iowa Freedom Trail Project

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The Underground Railroad in Iowa

John Brown Freedom Trail 1859 - Stop Number Two: Tabor, Iowa

Iowa Freedom Trail Project

After overnighting at the Blanchard House in Civil Bend, John Brown and his group traveled to Tabor, Iowa – arriving on February 5, 1859. Tabor was an anti-slavery stronghold and a stop on the Underground Railroad. It was known as a staging area for Kansas-bound Free Soil settlers and the Reverend John Todd House (pictured) was used as a place to store arms and provisions during the Bleeding Kansas conflict.

Brown had spent a good deal of time in Tabor prior to 1859. This time, Brown received a cool welcome when he arrived in Tabor. Local residents were displeased with Brown and his recent actions. He had gone beyond his regular actions of assisting freedom seekers and had begun to actively free slaves and kill slave owners. Because of this cold reception, the Brown entourage only stayed at Tabor a week. 

Next Stop:  Malvern, Iowa


Iowa and the Underground Railroad

https://iowaculture.gov/sites/default/files/History%20-%20Education%20-%20Lifelong%20Learning%20-%20...