Slavery was arguably the most divisive moral and political issue of the mid-19th century - and Andover was right in the thick of things. Andover was home to an active Anti-Slavery Society and the Emigrant Aid Society. These citizens made deep personal commitments to the question of human rights, even willing to engage in active civil disobedience.
No single act demonstrated this commitment more than participation in the Northern underground railroad.
By 1830, there were an estimated two million slaves in America. The invention of the cotton gin in 1793, initially heralded as a labor-saving device, only served to perpetuate slavery by making cotton the major cash crop. At the outbreak of the Civil War, nearly four million slaves lived and labored in the South. Westward expansion increased tensions as slaves fought their confinements and abolitionists became more vocal. Southern slave owners viewed the underground railroad as "organized theft."
Called "a secret political protest against the institution of slavery," the underground railroad was veiled in secret signals and passwords and an elaborate system of routes and rest stops that changed frequently. Because harboring a runaway slave was illegal, for a long time it was difficult to identify exactly who was involved or where the "fugitives" were harbored. Time gradually found people willing to speak openly about their experiences, and the extent of Andover's underground network became well documented:
William Jenkins House, 8 Douglass St. (formerly 89 Jenkins Road). William Jenkins and his wife Mary ran an underground railroad station there. The Jenkins supported immediate emancipation and also hosted anti-slavery meetings in their home.
Mark Newman House, 210 Main St. Located today on the Phillips Academy campus, the Newman House was home to the Rev. Ralph Emerson (1829-1853) who "harbored fugitive slaves" in secret spaces.
Stowe House, 80 Bartlet St. Though not a known stop on the underground railroad, it served for a time as the home of Harriet Beecher Stowe (at the time that her husband Calvin taught at the Theological Seminary). Stowe was best known for her book, Uncle Tom's Cabin, and bringing to light the "reprehensiveness" of slavery. Stowe House became a popular stopover for famous abolitionists Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth and William Lloyd Garrison.
166 Lowell St., believed to be another station on the railroad, was home to Moses Park and his wife, who were charter members of the West Parish Anti-Slavery Society. They attended West Parish Church until its board refused to deny communion to persons holding pro-slavery sentiments.
Poor Wagon Factory, 278 North Main St., where the Christian Science Church stands today. Known publicly for its excellent wagons and privately for building wagons with hidden compartment where slaves were transported from stop to stop. It is written that underground workers at Frye Village disliked keeping their passengers for more than a day, "preferring to hurry them on."
66 Poor St., home of the Poor family, where slaves made brief stops before being transported to the next safe house.
Shawsheen Manor, North Main Street, now demolished. Originally this was the home of ardent abolitionist John Smith, also known for establishing (with John Dove) the Smith & Dove flax factory. A slave auction Smith attended as a young man is said to have "filled him with a life-long repugnance to the system of slavery." When local churches failed to take a strong stand against the practice, Smith, together with the Poors, Doves, Elijiah Hussey and William Donald (all of Frye Village), broke away to organize the Free Christian Church in 1846.
