Ford Underground Railroad Station
Erie, Erie County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
In the early 1800s, Emma Howell, a Black woman freed from slavery, and her husband James Ford, who liberated himself, owned the property at Parade and 12th streets and operated it as an Underground Railroad station. Prior to Emancipation, it was known to freedom seekers as a place for shelter and safe passage. Erie’s location on Lake Erie, proximity to Canada, and network of abolitionists made it a crucial way station for many freedom seekers.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
In the early 1800s, Emma Howell, a Black woman freed from slavery, and her husband James Ford, who had liberated himself, owned property at Parade and 12th streets in Erie and ran it as a station on the Underground Railroad. To freedom seekers it was a known place of shelter on the last leg north. Erie's perch on Lake Erie, its nearness to Canada, and its web of abolitionists made it a vital crossing point on the road to freedom.
Why it matters
The Fords' home is a reminder that the Underground Railroad was built by ordinary Black families who risked everything, and that the fight for freedom ran straight through Pennsylvania's lakeshore.
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Related people
- · Emma Howell
- · James Ford
Themes & tags
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