2024 Underground Railroad Symposium

ZANESVILLE, OH- The 2024 Underground Railroad Symposium was held today at Putnam Presbyterian Church in Zanesville which highlighted the area’s important role in abolitionist history.

The event featured several sessions, including talks on Frederick Douglass and the Beecher sisters, showing the connections between local history and the national struggle against slavery.

“It’s interesting, we continue to learn more about things that happened a long time ago, 180, 200 years ago back before the civil war, so it’s always exciting when you find out something you didn’t know before and you’re able to make connection to our local community with things that were going on in the nation, nationally important history,” said volunteer Jim Geyer.

Attendees appreciated the chance to connect with local heritage and learn more about the people who contributed to the Underground Railroad.

“You could start with Frederick Douglass, that was where we started the symposium today was a presentation about Frederick Douglass, Frederick Douglass spoke in this church in 1843, he was back in Putnam in 1850, and he spoke then at the methodist church. The Ohio Anti-Slavery Society was founded here in Putnam in 1835, back there at the Stone Academy,” said Geyer.

The Muskingum County History is already working on next year’s events. For more information visit MuskingumCountyHistory.org.