3 Day Getaways

Southwest Ohio

The Underground Railroad

View Map (opens in a new window)

Day One: The Visionaries of the Dayton Area
During his short lifetime Paul Laurence Dunbar became known as the poet laureate of African Americans. Drawing on his observations of society and the experience of his parents -- both former slaves -- he gave voice to the social dilemma of disenfranchised people of his day and became a proclaimer of black dignity. In 1936, the Dunbar House became the first state memorial to honor an African American. In Springboro, the Jonathan Wright House was named after the town's founder, a prominent anti-slavery activist who offered refuge to runaway slaves. Wilberforce University, located in Wilberforce, is the oldest private African-American University in the country. Opened for classes in 1856, the university is one of the first of its kind to open up the possibility of higher education to African Americans. Don't Miss: The Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, the National Museum of the U. S. Air Force and the National Afro-American Museum.

Day Two: Freedom Calls in Cincinnati
When the abolitionist movement was at its peak in the 1800s, many Cincinnatians risked their own lives to help enslaved men, women and children reach freedom. The Harriet Beecher Stowe House is an example of one such story. When Stowe moved to this famed house in 1832 with her father and sister, she and her family became heavily involved in the abolitionist movement. She often interviewed former slaves who had escaped to freedom along the Underground Railroad, which later led her to write "Uncle Tom's Cabin." Now, the house serves the public as a resource to learn more about Stowe, the anti-slavery movement and the Underground Railroad. (Please note: The house has limited hours of operation during the fall. Please click here for further information.) The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is a modern-day tribute to the 100,000-plus slaves who escaped to freedom on secret routes from the South to the North. The museum tells the tragic yet courageous story of slavery that is a critical component of America's history. Don't Miss: The Cincinnati Art Museum that houses more than 80,000 works of international art and the Château Laroche in Loveland, a one-fifth scale of an actual 16th-century Medieval castle.

Day Three: The Big History of Small-Town Ripley
Located on the Ohio/Kentucky border, Ripley was on the front line of the fight for freedom. In a town where slave hunters and abolitionists regularly rubbed elbows, those who helped runaway slaves put their own lives on the line to help others reach freedom. Their stories are alive today in sites such as Parker House and Rankin House. The John P. Parker House, a National Historic Landmark, located in downtown Ripley was the home of John Parker, a former slave in Virginia. Parker bought his freedom with the money he saved up from an apprenticeship he was permitted to work at throughout his youth. Up on a hill overlooking the town, Reverend John and Jean Rankin and their family began protecting escaped slaves in 1825, and for the next 40 years, the couple and their neighbors helped guide more than 2,000 slaves to freedom. The Rankin House tells their story and provides an authentic experience for visitors. In the center of Ripley, the Liberty Monument stands as a declaration of freedom and carries four bronze tablets that honor Ripley's abolitionist heroes. One side bears the names of prominent abolitionists; the second honors the men who fought for liberty; the third lists Civil War admirals and generals from the area; and the last honors the infantry, cavalry and navy from Ripley. Don't Miss: Brown County's five covered bridges; downtown historic Ripley.