The Underground Railroad in the Adirondack Region, by Tom Calarco

The Underground Railroad in the Adirondack Region

History is one of those things, for me, that takes on a totally different feeling depending on the context and the subject. Thinking about a place and its history has a different feeling and evokes entirely different moods, even if it substantially the same period that is being considered.

The Adirondacks of the mid 19^th century are no exception. The exploits of Nessmuk and Street postdate the underground railroad and John Brown, and although they are nearly as remote in time, they occur in an entirely different place in history. The adventurous taming, exploration, and measuring of the land “Adirondack” books, typically, especially as presented to the outsider, lean more to the rugged pioneer/explorer image, or focus on the natural history of the region, be it logging, wildlife, geology or mining. It is easy to forget the other aspects of the region’s relationship with the rest of the country. The Adirondacks were, and are, not a place where people are divorced from what is going on in the rest of he country. It is easier, perhaps, to view the place through the lens of the frontier and wilderness, a playground for the rich or a character building forge for the great explorers and their latter day acolytes. It is important, though, to remember that the current runs both ways, the people here have always had an interest and desire to partake in the national debate, and have never been lacking in action. Reading a book like this gives one a wholly different feeling for what the Adirondacks are, and what they were in the mid 1800’s.

Slavery and Abolition in the United States are, of course, closely tied to the Adirondacks, primarily through John Brown. Not only his farm in North Elba, but the commemorative plaque on the courthouse lawn where his body rested on its journey from Westport, and other stories and memorials of his impact here. The underground railroad, for good logistical reason, primarily skirted the high peaks and deep wilderness of the Adirondacks. Calarco details it all, though, detailing the links to the wider railroad, and minutely documenting all known and rumored local sites and stories. There are in depth discussions of the local politics and debates, and well laid-out criteria for determining which houses and sites can confidently be known as stops on the railroad.

Well researched, documented and organized, the book presents a wealth of information that, as with any history, has been there all along, waiting to be harvested, cooked and served in an appealing and nutritious form.