Friday, May 19, 2000
Festival salutes Underground Railroad
Education, drama mark Springboro event
By Jenny Callison
Enquirer Contributor
SPRINGBORO — There will be candles in many windows this weekend as Springboro celebrates its heritage as a haven for runaway slaves.
During the village's two-day Freedom Festival, bounty hunters will prowl the streets and shops of Springboro's historic district, tracking a family of slaves bound for Canada via the Underground Railroad.
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IF YOU GO
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• What: Springboro Freedom Festival.
• When: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
• Where: South Main Street (Ohio 741), in Springboro's Historic District.
• Underground Railroad Tours: Noon, 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m. Meet at Springboro Historical Museum.
• Information: (513) 748-2192 or (513) 748-9555.
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The parents and two children will be looking for a trustworthy “conductor” and a burning candle in the window of a safe house. Their quest will be helped — and hindered — by Confederate spies, Union troops, fervent abolitionists, and Abraham Lincoln himself.
“Festival visitors can take part in all the scenarios,” said festival co-chair Pam Wolf.
According to Ms. Wolf, those scenarios include help ing the fleeing family find shelter, foiling the bounty hunters, or drilling with Civil War re-enactors. Festival-goers can quiz President Lincoln about the finer points of his Emancipation Proclamation and learn more about the Underground Railroad movement from author Flonzie Brown-Wright and storyteller/balladeer Bob Ford.
Mr. Ford will be on hand both days, sharing tales of Underground Railroad heroes and hardships.
“I did a project on the Underground Railroad in Greene County a couple of years ago, and it sparked my interest,” said the Cedarville, Ohio, folklorist. “I've followed the routes from Ohio to Canada. Although I dress in costume, I'm not a re-enactor, because I try to bring the history of the Underground Railroad to current-day issues.”
Ms. Wolf said that while the major goal of the festival is education, it includes lots of entertainment as well. Gospel, old-time and novelty musicians will perform both days, period artisans will demonstrate and sell traditional crafts, and volunteers will conduct tours of Underground Railroad sites in downtown Springboro.
This is the third year for the festival, which salutes the area's Quaker roots and spotlights more than 20 authenticated Underground Railroad sites in Springboro and surrounding Clearcreak Township.
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