By Joyce A. Pettigrew, 256pp
©The South Norwich Historical Society, 2006
Many Black families lived in Oxford County for generations and contributed to the development of this area. The first families came to the Otterville area in the early 1830's. They were free Blacks from the Northern States who sought security in Canada. Fugitives followed in large numbers with the help of the underground Railroad after the passing of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act in the United States. Many went to Ingersoll where John Brown came to recruit support for his attack on Harper's Ferry.
With few descendants left in the county, their stories have largely been forgotten. A Safe Haven sheds light on the history of these Black settlers. This book attempts to answer the questions: who were they; and where did they go? |
