coffin coffin october september abolitionist businessman coffin deeply involved underground railroad indiana ohio home called grand central station underground railroad nicknamed president thousands slaves reported passed care escaping masters born coffin exposed developed opposition slavery child followed family immigrated indiana north_carolina following persecution slave holders indiana quickly local business leader merchant farmer wealth accumulated allowed major investor richmond branch served director 1830s position community allowed provide funds necessary supply food clothing transportation operations region urging friends anti slavery movement moved cincinnati operate warehouse selling goods produced free labor despite making considerable progress business venture forced abandon enterprise period continued assist hundreds runaway slaves lodging ohio home slavery abolished following american civil war coffin traveled abroad france great_britain instrumental forming aid societies provide food clothing funds education freed slaves retired 1870s wrote autobiography published year death early life family background coffin born farm near new garden north_carolina october son coffin family son sisters coffin father born massachusetts emigrated north_carolina farmed land community family greatly influenced teachings believed fair coffin parents probably met religious meetings near new garden home non families coffin cousin probably attended meeting earliest help slaves escape north_carolina beginning early coffin grew working father farm received little formal education frequently exposed slaves childhood condition according account abolitionist age seven asked slave chain gang bound man replied prevent escaping returning wife children event disturbed coffin considered possibility father taken similar fashion age coffin helping family assist escaping slaves taking food hiding farm fugitive slave act enforced family began conducting assistance slaves greater secrecy illegal activities night scrutiny worsened passage black laws early 1820s north_carolina openly persecuted assistance suspected providing runaway slaves indiana coffin cousin started sunday school teach slaves read bible plan short lived soon forced close school persecution worsened thousands began leave north_carolina slavery illegal land cheap large community influential passing constitutional slavery ohio indiana coffin accompanied brother law indiana stayed indiana whites year returning north_carolina carried reports indiana prosperity convinced slavery decided indiana october coffin married long time friend sister brother law ceremony held north_carolina catherine family believed involved helping slaves escape likely met coffin activity couple postponed indiana catherine pregnant children born coffin parents moved indiana year new wife son followed moved newport called indiana underground railroad indiana moving indiana coffin began farm tract land year opened general store later years credited business success granting ability heavily involved costly enterprise term underground railroad come use 1830s organization operating indiana early 1820s according coffin account long moving discovered home line stops large community free blacks near newport fugitive slaves hide continuing north recaptured hiding place known coffin contact black community known willing hide nearby home better protect took fugitive slaves new home winter word activity quickly spread community previously afraid seeing success avoiding problems soon joined group formed formal route moved stop stop reached canada coffin referred system mysterious road time progressed number escaping slaves increased coffin estimated average helped escape annually coffin home convergence point major escape routes madison cincinnati gathered home times wagons required transport north coffin home stops night home saw pass known coffin life frequently threatened slave hunters friends feared safety tried dissuade activities warning danger family business coffin deeply moved religious convictions wrote fears later life saying listening quietly told felt condemnation fugitive slaves duty fulfill bible injured business let business safety life hands divine master felt approval fear danger threaten life business faithful duty honest felt preserved support family business period poor performance neighbors opposed activity store population indiana quickly growing majority new immigrants supported anti slavery movement coffin business began grow prosperity continued substantial investment established soon director richmond branch bank built mill began produce oil grew farm coffin built new story brick home modifications house create better hiding places slaves secret door created quarters fourteen people hide narrow walls space slave hunters came coffin home search 1840s pressure brought bear communities helped escaping slaves leaders meeting coffin belonged advised members cease membership abolitionist societies end activities assisting runaway slaves insisted legal emancipation best course action following year coffin expelled group continued active role assisting escaping slaves coffin supported activities separated formed groups remained separate despite opposition desire help runaway slaves increased catherine organized society met home produce clothing aid sought neighbors sympathetic unwilling homes activities able steady supply goods assist operations efforts years came realize goods sold business product slave labor traveling learned organizations philadelphia new_york_city sold goods produced free labor began purchase stock organizations marketed fellow products sold profit free labor proponents eastern united_states wanted create similar organization west members approached coffin interested managing proposed declined saying lacked money required fund venture want city group abolitionist businessmen opened wholesale business cincinnati raised help stock new warehouse goods different groups continued pressure accept position new business director claiming western qualified manage enterprise reluctantly finally accepted agreed oversee warehouse years time train run ohio coffin moved cincinnati area took management venture rented newport business leaving arrangements home continue serving underground railroad stop intended return newport fulfilling obligation cincinnati task working eastern organizations set steady supply goods business constant problem plague enterprise poor quality goods coffin frequent difficulty free goods produced quality produced slave labor goods inferior quality competition difficult time finding goods problem plagued business years result enterprise constant financial struggle problem caused coffin begin travel south seek plantations use slave labor met limited success located cotton plantation mississippi owner freed slaves operated paying free laborers plantation struggling financially equipment cotton production coffin helped owner purchase cotton greatly increased productivity provided steady supply cotton association cotton shipped cincinnati spun cloth sold trips tennessee virginia successful succeed spreading word movement despite constant attention business poor supply cheap quality free labor products proved making impossible coffin return indiana locate replacement run company company stayed business primarily financial support wealthy coffin sold business deciding impossible business remain profitable cincinnati large anti slavery movement violent conflicts slavery proponents years coffin moved city purchased new home corner sixth streets continued active underground railroad setting new safe house city helping organize larger network area cautious helping slaves able find people trust community community came trust coffin moved times life city finally came reside street large home rooms rented boarding guests coming going home excellent place operate underground railroad stop suspicion catherine created costumes arrived dressed workers able pass white guests frequently disguise woman high collar long gloves veil large hat completely hide head slightly downward slaves coffin helped escape girl escaped south crossed winter night frozen carrying baby exhausted nearly dead reached coffin home provided food clothing new shoes shelter helping continue journey freedom canada living city time acquainted story moved book cabin couple refers book coffin role began change american_civil_war approached trip canada visit community escaped slaves living offer assistance helped found cincinnati blacks soon war broke group began prepare help war wounded opposed war support cause wife spent day cincinnati war hospital helping care wounded prepared large coffee distributed freely soldiers took home coffin helped form offer assistance slaves freed war union soldiers moved south shot slaves abandoned leaving food shelter coffin group began collecting food goods distributed slaves coffin petitioned government create offer assistance freed slaves coffin involved helping freed slaves war establishing businesses getting leader society traveled great_britain seek aid advocacy led formation englishman death legacy war ended coffin raised provide aid free blacks society provided food clothing money aid newly freed slave population united_states attended paris coffin enjoy public eye considered job begging money thought recorded book gave position new leader organization found concerned giving money freely blacks believed able care adequate education farms provided believed society giving limited resources best able benefit society continued operate year blacks guaranteed equality constitutional amendment war passage fifteenth amendment slavery illegal coffin lived rest life retirement later recorded book resign office declare operations end spent final year writing book activities life book coffin published considered historians best accounts activities died september ohio home funeral ceremony held friends meeting house cincinnati daily gazette recorded crowd large accommodated hundreds remain outside free blacks worked coffin underground railroad interred spring grove cemetery unmarked grave july african americans cincinnati erected feet tall monument coffin grave honor coffin home indiana purchased state indiana restored original condition open public tours coffin referred president said underground railroad going president title commonly modern historians estimate coffin helped slaves escape coffin estimated number questioned aided slaves coffin said bible bidding feed hungry naked said color try follow teachings good book time simply said thought safe right
Levi Coffin