History Overlooked: Jefferson County's Role in the UGRR

This map published by National Geographic leaves out all of the routes that led from Jefferson and surrounding counties in Southeast Indiana that moved freedom-seekers north to Michigan and into Canada. It is still available for download here.

A couple years ago, I came across a 1980s edition of National Geographic that included articles and maps about the Underground Railroad and the main routes that historians believed were used to transport the tens of thousands of enslaved Americans of African descent who were determined to build their futures as self-emancipated men and women, yearning to raise their families and educate their children in the freedom found in the northern states and beyond into Canada.

I was stunned to realize that Jefferson County's role in the UGRR was completely overlooked. The map gave no indication of its operations between Evansville, Indiana, and Cincinnati, Ohio. In fact, it left out everything we know about such work that eminated in and around Madison, which before 1850, was the largest city in the territory and later state of Indiana. It’s location alone, halfway between Louisville, Kentucky, and the Queen City in Ohio, should have forced earlier scholars of anti-slavery and abolitionist movements to look more closely at Jefferson and the surrounding counties in Southeast Indiana. It should have been clear that important work likely had been done here.

What previous historians overlooked was probably one of the most important stations of the entire Underground Railroad system. 

Stories That Must Be Told

It became crystal clear to me that the work of local historians, including Meagan S. Brown Bahlke, Mark Furnish, Jan Vetrhus, Larry Stout, Scott Baldwin, and John Nyberg, include hundreds of stories that must be told. Dozens of people. Black and white, quietly lived and worked in Madison and Jefferson County by day; by night, they literally risked their lives under to help fugitives from slavery in the South move toward freedom in the North.

Today I focus on work done by Meagan "Meg" Bahlke. Born and raised in the unincorporated village of Lancaster, located in Lancaster Township in Jefferson County, Indiana, Meg left the area for a few years. When she returned, her mother, Lena V. (Devore) McDole, was still living; Meg spent much of her time helping to care for her until Lena died in 2023 at the age of 97.

But for more than two decades, she was actively involved in researching the history of Eleutherian College and the Neil's Creek Anti-Slavery Society that was based in Lancaster. She worked closely with Lynda Jae Breitweiser and Dottie Reindollar, the two women credited with rescuing the three-story stone building atop College Hill that is now a National Historic Landmark.

Her work culminated in a 67-page encyclopedia-style book that she self-published in 2006 that, she wrote, was a compilation of facts put together in one space for future Eleutherian researchers: 

I wanted to give a complete and accurate account of things that transpired in Lancaster and surrounding villages during the turmoil of the years of slavery. This book is meant as a starting point for others who wish to continue the research. … There are many stories circulating about the Underground Railroad that are inaccurate, or partial truth. I fear these stories may be taken as truthful and destroy the “real” history. The age in which our Nation allowed slavery to flourish is not an appealing one. The truth is that it did happen. There are lessons to be learned from our errors. It has been an honor to compile this book. The story that transpires in Lancaster is a positive one. It deserves to be told.

Kindred Spirits

I first met Meg and her husband, Mark Bahlke, when I was a member of the Board of Directors for Historic Eleutherian College Inc.—the organization founded by Breitweiser and Reindollar to continue the preservation of the building and its history. While I felt a connection with everyone on the board, I was drawn to Meg. Unfortunately, years passed. Life got in the way for both of us; only once did we meet up to “talk shop” and look through the file cabinet filled with her research and documents that had been collected over more than 30 years. 

Finally, last summer, I was able to visit Meg and Mark at their home a couple of times. Tucked away in woods that are not even a mile from the college building, the early-1800s house had been in Meg’s family since the 1940s. It’s history has deep roots that tie back into the founding families of Eleutherian: It was the home of John H. and Sarah Ann (Nelson) Tibbets––children of two of the founders of the Neil’s Creek Anti-Slavery Society, Samuel Tibbets and James Nelson. As such, it was an important part of the local operations of the UGRR.

On my first visit, it was a beautiful sunny day and was perfect for sitting in the shade on their front deck. We talked about the amazing history of Lancaster and Jefferson County, and some of the major players in the abolitionist camp who lived and worked here for decades to help freedom-seekers find safety farther north in Michigan and Canada. I felt, and still feel, that we were kindred spirits. I guess she did too, because at one point, Meg got out of her chair and went inside. A few minutes later, she returned, carrying her well-worn copy of the book she had compiled, and handed it to me. She told me she wanted me to have it. I felt unworthy, and I told her that she should keep it. 

But Meg, who was battling pancreatic cancer for about two years, wouldn’t hear of it. “What am I going to do with it?” she said, insisting that I take it from her hands. She knew she had run out of time to do any more research. I felt—and still feel—honored that she put her faith in me to keep it and, perhaps, revise it to include all the new research that has been done in the two decades since it was published.

I visited her and Mark one more time, I think in July, and we had a lovely conversation. Just over a month later, Meg lost her valiant fight with cancer on Sept. 7.

Life still gets in the way; for months, I’ve been meaning to start working on her book, which contains a lot of hand-written notes in the margins and on blank pages scribbled down as she continued her research. My purpose is clear, and if I am to honor her wishes, I must find the time to fulfill them. As she wrote in her introduction, “This book is meant to be a starting point for others who wish to continue the research.”

There has been so much more research done. So, here I am—launching my journey into doing what my heart knows she wanted me to do. It is the best way I know to pay homage to a Kindred Spirit with whom I wish I'd been able to spend much more time. It is time to take on her work and bring it forward. Stay tuned, as I will be sharing this journey with all of you.