History Talk – Crossing Lake Erie to Freedom

Name: History Talk – Crossing Lake Erie to Freedom
Start: 2026-07-28T17:30:00-04:00
End: 2026-07-28T19:00:00-04:00
Location: Shores & Islands Ohio

Schedule

Tue Jul 28 2026 at 05:30 pm to 07:00 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

Shores & Islands Ohio | Sandusky, OH

Join the Maritime Museum & explore the Shores & Islands region’s role in the Underground Railroad and journeys to freedom across Lake Erie.
About this Event

Continue Shores & Islands Ohio's America 250 celebrations with Molly Sampson from the Maritime Museum of Sandusky as we explore the important role the Shores & Islands region played in the history of the Underground Railroad.

Crossing the Lake to Freedom examines how, beginning in the 1820s, freedom seekers escaping slavery traveled through local port communities and often crossed Lake Erie by boat to reach Canada, where slavery had been abolished. This presentation explores the maritime networks, vessels, and communities that shaped these journeys to freedom, as well as how this history is researched and interpreted today.

Following the presentation, attendees are invited to join members of the Erie County OSU Alumni Club for a short walk to Facer Park, where sculptor Susan Schultz will share the story behind her Underground Railroad sculpture, "Path to Freedom."