Historical Mural Project Begins in Cassopolis

Sanctuary and Deliverance, a mural project on the Underground Railroad in Cass County, has hit the wall. The wall, located on South Broadway in Cassopolis, is being prepared for the 25x75 mural of the 1847 Kentucky Raid on Cass County. There have been several donors and volunteers on this part of the set-up; if you are interested in the next step: base coating the wall, a volunteer workday has been set for May 13th 10am -5pm . For more information call Ruth Andrews, Lead Artist, at 269.445.0269.

One section of the mural will depict Joseph Sanford of Boone County, KY. Dr. Veta Tucker, Professor of English and Africian American Studies and Chair of the Michigan Freedom Trail Commission , writes of Joseph Sanford's experience:

"On Easter Sunday in 1847 when everything on the farm was quiet, Joseph Sanford and some of his friends left John Graves' farm in Boone County, Kentucky hoping never to come back. Joseph's wife and son and some of the others who left with Joseph that night lived on John Graves' brother's farm in nearby Kenton County. To avoid walking down the open roads, the freedom-seekers walked through the dark woods. It took them longer than usual to walk the twelve miles to Covington, Kentucky, but they made it before daylight. When they went down to the riverbank, there was no one there to row them across the Ohio River. They spotted a skiff, and all thirteen of them climbed in. The skiff was so overloaded that the water almost poured in the sides, but by sitting very still, they rowed across the river to the Ohio shore just as the sun came up. Joseph was very afraid that he would cross the path of someone who had seen him in Cincinnati before because he had driven his 'master's' wagon many times to Cincinnati to sell farm produce. Instead of familiar faces, however, the freedom-seekers met strangers they had never seen before. The strangers were slave-catchers who pretended to help Joseph Sanford and the others find a safe place to hide."

Our blog: www.kentuckyraidmural.blogspot.com. will have more history and updates as well as information about our inclusion in the National Gallery of Writing. Sanctuary and Deliverance has been approved to participate in the collection of stories and reactions to the mural painting. The National Gallery of Writing is another way to get involved in local history. This gallery is for oral histories that have been passed down about the operation of the Underground Railroad in Cass County and is sponsored by the Minority Coalition. We are interested in stories that have been handed down, as well as responses to the Kentucky Raid of 1847 mural project that is starting!