 The house's proximity to these routes and the Rock River allowed it to function as a stop on the Underground Railroad; fugitive slaves in Wisconsin frequently followed the river to the area before taking the road to Racine, where a boat could take them to Canada.A tunnel connects the main building to a nearby cabin; while the circumstances in which the tunnel was constructed are unknown, Joseph's son Ezra claimed the tunnel was used to hide runaway slaves.Goodrich also hosted prominent abolitionist Sojourner Truth at the house when she visited Milton in the 1860s.