There was a secret hidden in the basement walls of a home in Geneseo. That home is now the Geneseo Historical Museum. However, back in the 1850's, the hiding hole in the basement was a safe haven for runaway slaves on their flight to freedom. The home was a stop on the Underground Railroad.
George and Ann Richards owned the home. They were opposed to slavery, and Museum Curator Angie Snook says the home was one of many stops along the Underground Railroad. The cramped hideaway was a place where the fugitive slaves would be given food, water, and the opportunity to rest for a few days before heading to the next stop along the route.
The museum has several items which were found in the hiding hole, including a candle, nursery rhyme book, and shackles. The book display and slave auction receipts also tell the story of this significant part of local history. The museum is also a tribute to the people of Geneseo who risked their own well being. If they were caught hiding a slave, they could have been fined up to a thousand dollars.
Often, the slaves would flee on foot, or travel by wagon, hoping to escape to Canada. Geneseo was settled by a group of abolitionists who required that people living in the community had to sign a covenant, indicating their opposition to slavery.
