Benjamin Walker Homestead
West Saint Clair Township, Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Before and during the Civil War, Benjamin Walker, Abner Walker, Sr. and George Harbaugh worked closely with African American Underground Railroad conductors John Fiddler, Elisa Rouse and Joseph Crawley. Hundreds of fugitive slaves were led from the PA border through Bedford County via the Walker Homestead, across the mountain and north to freedom. Participation in the UGRR was dangerous, due to the proximity to the MD border.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
In the tense years before and during the Civil War, the Walker Homestead in Bedford County served as a vital station on the Underground Railroad, perilously close to the Maryland line and the reach of slave catchers. Benjamin Walker, Abner Walker, Sr., and George Harbaugh worked hand in hand with African American conductors John Fiddler, Elisa Rouse, and Joseph Crawley, guiding hundreds of freedom seekers from the Pennsylvania border across the mountains and northward toward liberty.
Why it matters
This homestead testifies to the courage of an interracial network that defied federal law and mortal danger to help hundreds of enslaved people reach freedom, one of the Underground Railroad's quiet frontlines against slavery.
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Related people
- · Benjamin Walker
- · Abner Walker, Sr.
- · George Harbaugh
- · John Fiddler
- · Elisa Rouse
- · Joseph Crawley
Related events
- · Underground Railroad
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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The Rosedale Banishment
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