The Underground Railroad

The Windham Historical Society is meeting at the Library tonight and will be presenting Eleanor Strang with a talk and slideshow, "The Underground Railroad in New England: A Secret Network in the Years before the Civil War." The program begins at 7:00 pm and is free and open to the public.

The Underground Railroad has always been a subject of interest here in New England, and many an old home has been sold with the tag, "may have been a stop on the Underground Railroad."

Although not a major route on the Underground Railroad, New Hampshire did have a role. Several of the NH operatives are found in The Underground Railroad: An Encyclopedia of People, Places, and Operations by Mary Ellen Snodgrass [R 973.7115 SNO]. A booklet in the reference section, The Underground Railroad in New England [R 973.7 UND], lists the Pattee Homestead (formerly Mystery Hill, now known as America's Stonehenge) in Salem as a station!

We have many nonfiction books on the Underground Railroad in both the adult and children's collection. Look for them in the 973.7 and J 973.7 sections.

A recent picture book, Underground, by Shane Evans [JP EVA], is an award-winning title for the younger set. A Washington Post review stated, "The minimal text drums like a heartbeat. From terror to triumph, a perfect evocation for very young readers of what it means to escape from bondage."