About

How Did This Web Site Develop?

This web site is a project of the Underground Railroad History Project of the Capital Region (URHPCR). What is the URHPCR? It is a non profit organization and its mission is that it celebrates the history of courage and cooperation among our communal ancestors. We do this by reclaiming and sharing the voices of freedom seekers, African American abolitionists and their supporters through public education, research, preservation, and community involvement.

It pursues this mission in the following ways:

The Underground Railroad was the movement that enslaved African Americans used to gain freedom in the 19th Century. The Capital Region of New York State was visited by thousands of fugitives seeking freedom in the years prior to the Civil War. URHPCR, Inc. seeks to acknowledge the active underground railroad movement in our region, to raise awareness about and stimulate interest in this little recognized and inspiring part of our history, to understand it in its historic context, to encourage the recognition of local historic figures and the activities in which they engaged, and to preserve that history.

Research using primary sources has been conducted since 1998 focusing on New York’s Capital Region history.

Picture caption: Mary Liz Stewart, Tony Opalka, and Wally Wheeler study maps capturing regional history.

Over 200 public presentations have been provided to groups, and radio and television audiences.

Picture Capition: Over 200 presentations have been made to community groups in the region.

Annual conferences provide educational and experiential opportunities to examine many facets of Underground Railroad history.

Upcoming conference: February 22, 23, 24, 2008 - check website for details

Walking tours in downtown Albany and Troy, New York engage participants with accounts of local UGR activism, walking where freedom seekers walked and visiting locations where abolitionist activists lived, worked, or conducted activities.

Picture Caption: Walking Tour Views Downtown Albany historic locations.

Displays at block parties, community fairs, farmers’ markets and other events provide opportunities to dialogue one on one about the UGR story.

Picture Caption: Paul Stewart hosts display at Troy Farmer's Market.

Identification of an Albany, New York UGR site, the Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence, has launched a restoration project to return the home to its period of greatest significance and create a living museum to celebrate the story.

Picture Caption: Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence Underground Railroad site.

A tri-annual newsletter, The Freedom Seeker, highlights researched history and organization activities.

Picture Caption: The Freedom Seeker newsletter

URHPCR’s UGR Players, a community theater company, features local UGR history and African American history in staged productions.

Major speakers such as Francis Bok are brought to the area to broaden the knowledge base of the community about slavery’s contemporary impact and actions that can be taken in response.

Picture Caption: Francis Bok, formerly held in slavery in Sudan.

We offer here research about local Underground Railroad figures and the local story.

We ask you to help us in this work. If you would like to help us in the programs we do please get in touch with us. The story of the local Underground Railroad is compelling, dramatic, and something that can help us in the present day as we struggle with man of the issues that arose then and are still with us today. These are issues such as civil rights, voting rights, education in the community and for African Americans, self-determination, constitutional rights questions, and even international relations. If you know of such information that can help us as we research and document the UGRR in the Capital Region, please contact us!

Who Are We?

Paul and Mary Liz Stewart originally initiated this web site through a personal project in researching the Underground Railroad in the Capital Region. Since that beginning the Underground Railroad History Project was formed and has grown to what is represented here. We encourage you to make a contribution to the work we are doing, become a member, attend our programs, and help us move this research and discovery forward!

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