Daniel Kaufman
South Middleton Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
An Underground Railroad agent from 1835 to 1847, when he was sued by a Maryland slave owner. He was ultimately fined $4,000 in 1852, in a case that drew wide attention. Kaufman had provided food and transportation to fugitive slaves passing through this area; his barn and a densely wooded area nearby furnished shelter. In 1845, Kaufman laid out the village of Boiling Springs, and he built his 301 Front Street home in 1880.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
For more than a decade beginning in 1835, Daniel Kaufman risked ruin to help enslaved people fleeing north through Cumberland County. His barn and the dense woods nearby sheltered fugitives to whom he gave food and transport. In 1852 a Maryland slaveholder won a widely watched lawsuit against him, and Kaufman was fined the enormous sum of $4,000 for his defiance of the Fugitive Slave Law. He also founded the village of Boiling Springs.
Why it matters
Kaufman's story shows the personal cost ordinary citizens paid to resist slavery on the Underground Railroad, and how those lawsuits sharpened the national conflict that led to civil war.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- Ye Olde Sulphur Spa Historical Society9.5 mi away
- Appalachian Trail Museum12.4 mi away
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Related people
- · Daniel Kaufman
Related events
- · Underground Railroad
Themes & tags
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