Brown County Underground Railroad Sites Receive Historical Markers

The Appalachian Freedom Heritage Tourism Initiative — a group working to document and interpret verified Underground Railroad locations in Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia — will dedicate two new historical markers in Brown County on May 30.

The first ceremony of the day is set for 11 a.m. at the John Rankin House, located at 6152 Rankin Hill Road, followed by the dedication at the John P. Parker House, just a mile away, at 1 p.m. Both homes are in the Ohio River village of Ripley, which today has a population around 1,600.

During the time they resided at their home, the Rev. John Rankin and his family sheltered around 2,000 freedom seekers as they crossed from Kentucky into Ohio.

“The Rankin family members were leaders in the Underground Railroad movement in southern Ohio,” said Betty Campbell, site manager for the John Rankin House, in a May 13 press release. “Their story of right over wrong is as relevant today as it was nearly 175 years ago. We share their story with the world.”

John P. Parker House in Ripley (photo by Andrew Feight)

The John P. Parker House tells the story of its namesake, a former enslaved man who bought his freedom and worked as a conductor on the Underground Railroad. According to the Appalachian Freedom Heritage Tourism Initiative, Parker would cross the Ohio River into Kentucky to help guide freedom seekers northward, frequently putting himself at risk.

“At Ripley, we see the Underground Railroad — resistance to enslavement through escape and flight — in its fullest expression. It is a history shaped by both the courage of freedom seekers and those who assisted them,” Andrew Feight, director of research and outreach for the Appalachian Freedom Heritage Tourism Initiative, said in the May 13 release.  

For more information, visit appalachianfreedom.com.

For more Ohio history inspiration, sign up for our Ohio Magazine newsletters.

Ohio Magazine is available in a beautifully designed print issue that is published 7 times a year, along with Spring-Summer and Fall-Winter editions of LongWeekends magazine. Subscribe to Ohio Magazine and stay connected to beauty, adventure and fun across our state.