Paul Glasser
Today is the last day for the Indiana Underground Railroad Coalition to satisfy the requirements of its $89,000 grant.
“We’re so close to being finished it’s scary,” said Decatur County tourism director Melanie Maxwell. “We’re really pushing to get everything done.”
The state department of tourism gave the group money to help promote a series of driving-tours which illustrate the rich underground history of southeast Indiana. Museums, historical societies and tourism bureaus in 18 counties came together to support the coalition and promote awareness. The driving tours roughly follow the routes used by station-masters to escort escaped slaves north towards Canada.
“Until now, there hasn’t been a cooperative effort,” Maxwell said. “Everyone is working together but it’s a challenge to get everyone to communicate.”
The coalition must submit a revised research report by Wednesday in order to qualify for the second round of funding. The money will go towards paying for pamphlets, brochures, website development and educational museum displays.
“This isn’t going to be a slight product,” said Sally McWilliams, brochure designer. “It has to be substantial with several articles for each project partner.”
The coalition will produce 15,000 informational booklets and 70,000 promotional rack-cards. The booklets are more expensive to produce, but offer more educational information. The cards will help the group provide more visitors with the basic information cheaply.
To prevent waste, the booklets will be sold for several dollars and the cards will be free.
“The booklet is a big, expensive, serious product,” McWilliams said. “We don’t want people to pick it up and throw it away if they aren’t interested.”
The pamphlet will include a brief description of national and local events which took place during the fight to end slavery and then moves on to describe the three local driving routes. The first tour goes from the Carnagie Center in New Albany and focuses on the dangerous river crossing. The second tour runs through Greensburg and Rushville and emphisizes the friends who helped slaves and the foes who opposed them. The final tour focuses on the ideology of the times and goes through Lawrenceburg and ends at the Levin Coffin house in Fountain City.
“This is about the fabric of the Underground Railroad,” McWilliams said.
Project curator Orloff Miller asked for help revising the research report before he finalizes it.
“A lot of stakeholders have a lot invested in this,” Miller said. “It’s critical to verify everything before it’s cast in stone.”
Jeannie Regan, the special projects coordinator for the Department of Natural Resources, agreed and brought up several issues. She was concerned that some passages whitewashed racial issues and painted a utopian picture.
“I hate being the Devil’s advocate, but they didn’t always coexist,” Regan said. “We need to make sure we’re accurate.”
The committee agreed to examine some of the metaphors, like roads, stations and trails that indicate fixed routes.
“I’m going to get you a red pen for Christmas,” Maxwell joked.
The next stage of the project will focus on compiling a website, designing museum displays and sending the pamphlets to the printer. Designer Scott Donaldson will try to convey the sense of urgency which faced escaping slaves.
“They didn’t know where to go or who to trust,” he said.
The signs urge motorists to “go now” and explore the secret hideaways and escape routes scattered throughout southeastern Indiana.
