To those who do not know, the Rankin house still stands in Adams County and is open to visitors. The house is very small and it is a true miracle that Mr. Rankin housed as many "runaways" as he did. The house sits on a hill not far from the river. RSR Scioto County Ohio -----Original Message----- From: HERMON B FAGLEY <hermfagley@juno.com> To: OHADAMS-L@rootsweb.com <OHADAMS-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Friday, February 11, 2000 9:43 AM Subject: [OHADAMS] Underground RR FEE RANKIN RIPLEY,Oh >www.ancestry.com added "Slave Narratives' to their databases. Free for >all a >few days. This is the 1st hit I got for UNDERGROUND >Ancestry.com - Slave NarrativesMember Login | Guest Registry | Why Join? > > > > > Search > Record Type > Slave Narratives > Search ResultsFebruary >11, > 2000 > (Verbatim interview with Arnold Gragston, 97-year-old ex-slave whose >early > life was spent helping slaves to freedom across the Ohio River, >while he, > himself, remained in bondage. As he puts it, he guesses he could be >called > a 'conductor' on the underground railway, only we didn't call it >that > then. I don't know as we called it anything -- we just knew there >was a > lot of slaves always a-wantin' to get free, and I had to help >'em.") > > "Most of the slaves didn't know when they was born, but I did. You >see, I > was born on a Christmas mornin' -- it was in 1840; I was a full >grown man > when I finally lot my freedom." > > "Before I got it, though, I helped a lot of others get theirs. Lawd >only > knows how many; might have been as much as two-three hundred. It >was 'way > wore than a hundred, I know. > > "But that all came after I was a young man -- 'grown' enough to >know a > pretty girl when I saw one, and to go chasing after her, too. I was >born > on a plantation that b'longed to Mr. Jack Tabb in Mason County, >just > across the river in Kentucky." > > "Mr. Tabb was a pretty good man. He used to beat us, sure; but not >nearly > so much as others did, some of his own kin people, even. But he was >kinda > funny sometimes; he used to have a special slave who didn't have >nothin' > to do but teach the rest of us -- we had about ten on the >plantation, and > a lot on the > > (-50-) > > other plantations near us -- how to read and write and figger. Mr. >Tabb > liked us to know how to figger. But sometimes when he would send >for us > and we would be a long time comin', he would ask us where we had >been. If > we told him we had been learnin' to read, he would near beat the >daylights > out of us -- after gettin' somebody to teach us; I think he did >some of > that so that the other owners wouldn't say he was spoilin' his >slaves." > > "He was funny about us marryin', too. He would let us go a-courtin' >on the > other plantations near anytime we liked, if we were good, and if we >found > somebody we wanted to marry, and she was on a plantation that >b'longed to > one of his kin folks or a friend, he would swap a slave so that the > > husband and wife could be together. Sometimes, when he couldn't do >this, > he would let a slave work all day on his plantation, and live with >his > wife at night on her plantation. Some of the other owners was >always > talking about his spoilin' us." > > "He wasn't a Dimmacrat like the rest of 'em in the county; he >belonged to > the 'know-nothin' party' and he was a real leader in it. He used to >always > be makin' speeches, and sometimes his best friends wouldn't be >speaking to > him for days at a time." > > "Mr. Tabb was always specially good to me. He used to let me go all >about > -- I guess he had to; couldn't get too much work out of me even >when he > kept me right under his eyes. I learned fast, too, and I think he >kinda > liked that. He used to call Sandy Davis, the slave who taught me, >'the > smartest Nigger er > > > >Copyright 1998-2000, MyFamily.com Inc. and its subsidiaries. Terms & >Conditions >| Privacy Statement | Y2K| Contact Us > > > >Ancestry.com - Slave NarrativesMember Login | Guest Registry | Why Join? > > > > Advanced Search | Search by Locality | Search by Record >Type | > Search Help > >Database: Full Context of Slave Narratives > > in Kentucky.' > > "It was 'cause he used to let me go around in the day and night so >much > that I came to be the one who carried the runnin' away slaves over >the > river. It was funny the way I started it, too." > > "I didn't have no idea of ever gettin' mixed up in any sort of >business > like that until one special night. I hadn't even thought of rowing >across > the river myself." > > "But one night I had gone on another plantation 'courtin,' and the >old > woman whose house I went to told me she had a real pretty girl >there who > wanted to go across the river and would I take her? I was seared >and > backed out in a hurry. But then I saw the girl, and she was such a >pretty > little thing, brownskinned and kinda rosy, and looking as scared as >I was > feelin', so it wasn't long before I was listenin' to the old woman >tell we > when to take her and where to leave her on the other side." > > "I didn't have nerve enough to do it that night, though, and I told >them > to wait for me until tomorrow night. All the next day I kept seeing >Mister > Tabb laying a rawhide across my back, or shootin' me, and kept >seeing that > seared little brown girl back at the house, looking at me with her >big > eyes and askin me if I wouldn't just row her across to Ripley. Me >and Mr. > Tabb lost, and soon as dust settled that night, I was at the old >lady's > house." > > "I don't now how I ever rowed the boat across the > > (-52-) > > river the current was strong and I was trembling. I couldn't see a >thing > there in the dark, but I felt that girl's eyes. We didn't dare to >whisper, > so I couldn't tell her how sure I was that Mr. Tabb or some of the >others > owners would 'tear me up' when they found out what I had done. I >just knew > they would find out." > > "I was worried, too, about where to put her out of the boat. I >couldn't > ride her across the river all night, and I didn't know a thing >about the > other side. I had heard a lot a out it from other slaves but I >thought it > was just about like Mason County, with slaves and masters, >overseers and > rawhides; and so, I just knew that if I pulled the boat up and went >to > asking people where to take her I would get a beating or get >killed." > >Copyright 1998-2000, MyFamily.com Inc. and its subsidiaries. Terms & >Conditions >| Privacy Statement | Y2K| Contact Us > > > >Ancestry.com - Slave NarrativesMember Login | Guest Registry | Why Join? > > Previous Page Next Page > "I don't know whether it seemed like a long time or a short time, >now - > it's so long ago; I know it was a long time rowing there in the >cold and > worryin'. But it was short, too, 'cause as soon as I did get on the >other > side the big-eyed, brown-skin girl would be gone. Well, pretty soon >I saw > a tall light and I remembered what the old lady had told me about >looking > for that light and rowing to it. I did; and when I got up to it, >two men > reached town and grabbed her; I started tremblin' all over again, >and > prayin'. Then, are of the men took my arm and I just felt down >inside of > me that the Lord had got ready for me. 'You hungry, Soy?' is what >he asked > me, and if he hadn't been holdin' me I think I would have fell > > (-53-) > > backward into the river." > > "That was my first trip; it took me a long time to get over my >seared > feelin', but I finally did, and I soon found myself goin back >across the > river, with two and three people, and sometimes a whole boatload. I >got so > I used to make three and four trips a month. > > "What did my passengers look like? I can't tell you any more about >it than > you can, and you wasn't there. After that first girl -- no, I never >did > see her again -- I never saw my passengers. I would have to be the >'black > nights' of the moon when I would carry them, and I would meet 'em >out in > the open or in a house without a single light. The only way I knew >who > they were was to ask them; "What you say?" And they would answer, > "Menare." I don't know what that word meant -- it came from the >Bible. I > only know that that was the password I used, and all of them that I >took > over told it to me before I took them. > > "I guess you wonder what I did with them after I got them over the >river. > Well, there in Ripley was a man named Mr. Bank us; I think the rest >of his > name was John. He had a regular station there on his place for >escaping > slaves. You see, Ohio was a free state and once they got over the >river > from Kentucky or Virginia, Mr. Rankins could strut them all around >town, > and nobody would bother 'em. The only reason we used to land 'em >quietly > at night was so that whoever brought 'em could go back for more, >and > because we had to be careful that none of the > > (-54-) > > owners had followed us. Every once in a while they would follow a >boat and > catch their slaves back. Sometimes they would shoot at whoever was >trying > to save the poor devils. > > "Mr. Rankins had a regular 'station' for the slaves. He had a big > lighthouse in his yard, about thirty feet high and he kept it >burnin' all > night. It always meant freedom for slave if he could get to this >light. > > "Sometimes Mr. Rankins would have twenty or thirty slaves that had >run > away on his place at the time. It must have cost him a, whole lots >to keep > them and feed 'em, but I think some of his friends helped him. > >Copyright 1998-2000, MyFamily.com Inc. and its subsidiaries. Terms & >Conditions >| Privacy Statement | Y2K| Contact Us > > > >Ancestry.com - Slave NarrativesMember Login | Guest Registry | Why Join? > > Search > Record Type > Slave Narratives > Search ResultsFebruary >11, > 2000 > Search Results > Database: Full Context of Slave Narratives > Combined Matches: > Previous Page Next Page > "I almost ran the business in the ground after I had been carrying >the > slaves across for nearly four years. It was in 1963, and one night >I > carried across about twelve on the same night. Somebody must have >seen us, > because they set out after me as soon as I stepped out of the boat >back on > the Kentucky side; from that time on they were after me. Sometimes >they > would almost catch me; I had to run away from Mr. Tabb's plantation >and > live in the fields and in the woods. I didn't know what a bed was >from one > week to another. I would sleep in a cornfield tonight, up in the >branches > of a tree tomorrow sight, and buried in a hay pile the next night; >the > River, where I had carried so many across myself, was no good to >me; it > was watched too close. > > "Finally, I saw that I could never do any more good in Mason >County, so I > decided to take my freedom, too. I had a wife by this time, and one >night > we quietly slipped across and headed for Mr. Rankin's bell and >light. It > looked like we had > > (-57-) > > to go almost to Chinn to get across that river; I could hear the >bell and > see the light on Mr. Rankin's place, but the harder I rowed, the >farther > away it Cot, and I knew if I didn't make it I'd get killed. But >finally. I > pulled up by the light-house, and went on to my freedom -- just a >few > months before all of the slaves got their's. I didn't stay in >Rinley, > though; I wasn't taking no chances. I went on to Detroit and still >live > there with wout of 10 children and 31 grandchildren. > > "We bigger ones don't care so much about hearin' it now, but the >little > once never ot tired of hearin' how their grandpa brought >Emancipation to > loads of slaves he could touch and fool, but never could see." > > (-58-, FEDERAL WRITERS' PROJECT, American Guide (Negro Writers' >Unit), > Jacksonville, Florida, Martin Richardson, Slave Interview, Arnold > Gragston, REFERENCES) > > 1. Interview with subject, Arnold Gragston, present address, Robert > > Hungerford Colle a Campus, Eatonville (F. O. Maitland) Florida. > > (Subject is relative of President of Hangerford College and stays >several > months in Eatonville at frequent intervals. His home is Detroit, >Michigan). > > (FEDERAL WRITERS' PROJECT, American Guide, (Negro Writers' Unit), > Jacksonville, Florida, Pearl Randolph, Field Worker, Complete, >1,601 > Words, 8 Pages, Slave Interview, 18 Dec 1936, Harriett Gresham) > > Gresham, Harriett > >Copyright 1998-2000, MyFamily.com Inc. and its subsidiaries. Terms & >Conditions >| Privacy Statement | Y2K| Contact Us > > > > >________________________________________________________________ >YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! >Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! >Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: >http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. > >