Vandalia Celebrates Its Historical Participation in the Underground Railroad

"Vandalia may be a tiny village of just more than 400 people, but it has a big history.

Unfortunately, many of its residents and people in the surrounding area do not know much about its historical significance, according to Carol Bainbridge of the Underground Railroad Society of Cass County.

“Everyone asks, ‘where’s Vandalia?’” she said. “I tell them that Vandalia may be a little village but it has a huge, huge, important history. The history of this area, especially this little village, impacted this entire country.”

With events like the Kentucky Raid of 1847 and key stops on the Underground Railroad, the area was influential in the fight against slavery.

Bainbridge and the (Underground Railroad Society) are hoping to help educate the community through the first Vandalia Underground Railroad Days on July 17 and 18."

www.nilesstar.com/2010/07/08/villages-role-in-underground-railroad-history-to-be-celebrated/

(The Carriage House pictured served as a haven for runaway slaves.)