Cleveland’s Amazing Role in the Underground Railroad

Storytellers: Jan Thrope & Fran Stewart

 
 
 
 

Doors open at 5:00pm, with the storytelling beginning promptly at 7:00pm

• Weekly series combining great food with great stories about Cleveland’s past
• FREE ADMISSION – NO COVER CHARGE
• Prix Fixe 3-course dinner option just $25
• This week’s menu
  • Green Bean and Potato Salad
  • Shrimp & Grits
  • Banana Pudding

Story topic this week…

Cleveland’s Amazing Role in the Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad is a big piece of national history. During the mid-19th century, slaves in the south sought these underground roads in hopes of fleeing their owners and finding a way to freedom. The Cuyahoga Valley National Park, is said to be a part of these underground roads, often connecting people to Lake Erie where they then crossed the lake into Canada via boat. Join Cleveland social worker and community activist, Jan Thorpe & Cleveland writer and researcher, Fran Stewart as they take us on a journey back to the Civil War and tell stories about Ohio’s amazing contributions to the Underground Railroad.
 

Jan Thrope Bio

Jan Thrope is a social worker, community activist and founder of Inner Visions of Cleveland dedicated to healing racial and economic divisions. She’s written two books on the topic: Inner Visions; Grassroot Stories of Truth and Hope; and Healing the Space Between Us. In 2022 she walked the Ohio portion of the Underground Railroad in honor of Joan Southgate who walked the trail 20 years earlier. She hopes the Ohio Freedom Path app encourages others to walk the walk and be inspired by the courage of freedom seekers and those who helped them.

Fran Stewart Bio

Fran Stewart, PhD is a Cleveland-area writer and researcher. She co-authored In Their Path: A Grandmother’s 519-Mile Underground Railroad Walk with Joan Southgate and helped found Restore Cleveland Hope, a group dedicated to preserving the Cozad-Bates House and celebrating Cleveland’s antislavery history. A former journalist, Fran now writes primarily on the topics of economic development, workforce skills and public policy. In 2017, Fran walked the Camino in Spain and came away from that amazing experience wanting to encourage others to take a walk through Ohio’s communities and rich history.

 
The goal of the Cleveland Stories Dinner Party is to bring to life some of the fun, interesting stories about Cleveland’s past – from sports, to rock ‘n roll, to Millionaire’s Row, — the series will focus on tidbits from Cleveland’s past that will really thrill the audience. The Music Box is presenting this series in partnership with the Western Reserve Historical Society’s new Cleveland History Center. We think the Cleveland History Center is one of the most important museums in Cleveland. An unknown gem that Clevelanders should know more about, and support. It is the only museum in Cleveland dedicated to preserving and documenting the history of Cleveland. The Cleveland History Center includes two mansions, the Crawford Auto Aviation Museum, Chisholm Halle Costume Wing, Research Library, Kidzibits Hands-On Gallery, rotating exhibitions, and the Euclid Beach Park Grand Carousel.
 

See all Cleveland Stories dates here.