Our Snail Tracks

November 2, 2024 – The John Rankin House sits on a prominent hill overlooking the town of Ripley and the Ohio River.  It was built in 1828 by abolitionist John Rankin for his wife and eventual 13 children.

The home became one of the first stops for fugitive slaves who crossed the river from Kentucky, a slave state, seeking freedom. The Rankins would leave a candle in the window to provide guidance to those seeking a safety.

It is estimated that Rankin and his family helped to secure the freedom for more than 2,000 slaves. The family was often under surveillance and faced grave danger. There was frequently a price on John Rankin’s head by slave catchers searching for escaped slaves.

The famous author and abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe once visited Rankin. While there she met an enslaved woman who became the inspiration for a character in Stowe’s novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

We then visited the John P. Parker house, also in Ripley. It was the home of former slave and businessman John Parker from 1853 until his death in 1900. He began as an iron moulder, then later designed and patented several mechanical inventions.

Parker was an abolitionist and a conductor on the Underground Railroad, helping hundreds of escaped slaves. He rarely sheltered slaves at his home as it was a frequent target of slave catchers. Instead, he would cross into Kentucky in search of escaped slaves, and help them get to safety at great personal risk.

Ripley, Ohio and the surrounding region has a rich history where many citizens helped thousands find freedom through the Underground Railroad.