Ford Underground Railroad Station

In the early 1800s, Emma Howell, a Black woman freed from slavery, and her husband James Ford, who liberated himself, owned the property at Parade and 12th streets and operated it as an Underground Railroad station. Prior to Emancipation, it was known to freedom seekers as a place for shelter and safe passage. Erie’s location on Lake Erie, proximity to Canada, and network of abolitionists made it a crucial way station for many freedom seekers.