Researchers in St. Catharines, Ont., are working to unearth the lost gravestones of people who fled slavery in the U.S. 100 years ago.
Unearthing lost gravestones of freedom seekers who fled slavery CBC’s Nick Purdon visits the project site and learns that keeping the stories of freedom seekers alive is more than just preserving history — for some, it’s deeply personal.
Montgomery and Ernest are part of the Salem Chapel Underground Railroad Cemetery project, which searches for the forgotten graves of former slaves who fled the United States in the 19th century. Once Ernest and Montgomery can feel the granite headstone, they abandon their tools and use their gloved hands to gently sweep away the dirt.
Rochelle Bush, left, and Adam Montgomery are historians behind the Salem Chapel Underground Railroad Cemetery Project. "So outside of our own homes, we couldn't go out and learn anything about us. We weren't celebrated. We weren't recognized," Bush said. "And it matters, because Black people are an important part of the development of this great country the same way as white people. But we're not recognized for that."Bush believes there are about 50 former slaves buried in the Victoria Lawn Cemetery whose gravestones have been lost.
It's not something you see every day in a cemetery, but Ernest unloads a winch and a long length of chain from his truck and lugs them past several gravestones. Montgomery explains that he has waited a long time for this moment – to extract and repair the gravestone of one of his relatives. "This is part of our history we've always been proud of," he said. "It's just very special when it's your own kin."Montgomery's mom, Linda Montgomery, has come to the cemetery to witness her son's work.
Montgomery explains there's a reason beyond his personal connection for why the cemetery project matters to him. He says that even though the freedom-seekers died generations ago, their stories are relevant today. That way people can visit the Victoria Lawn cemetery, download an app and learn about the lives of the freedom-seekers who escaped slavery and settled in Canada.John Lindsay overcame the longest possible odds. He was born a free man in 1805 but was abducted by slave catchers and enslaved in Washington, D.C., when he was only seven years old. He eventually escaped and made it to St. Catharines, where he became a prominent businessman.
The team again begins to dig carefully, systematically removing earth and probing so they don't damage the stone.
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