One of the most fascinating Underground Railroad sites in the United States is right here in Quincy. Now renamed as the Underground Railroad Museum, the home of Dr. Richard Eells and his wife Jane is open for tours on Saturdays now through November. The couple were active abolitionists who lived in this 1835 brick house in Quincy. In August of 1842, their lives changed forever when an escaped enslaved man named Charlie from nearby Lewis County, Missouri was brought to the house by a free Black man named Berryman Barnet. Visitors can view a new video that tells the heartbreaking story of Charlie and the Eells. Explore new galleries dedicated to Quincy’s pioneering Anti-Slavery Association, learn how the Underground Railroad functioned here, and understand the network of people who risked their lives and freedom to help others to live in liberty.
The actions taken in Quincy and the region in the early 1840s are some of the first instances of anti-slavery activists moving beyond mere words and taking direct action against slaveholders. The museum is at 415 Jersey St., open Saturdays 1-4 pm and by appointment, now through November. School groups can schedule a class tour and can be scheduled at any time. There is no fee for student groups. A donation of $5 is suggested from visitors or you can join the Friends of the Eells House and help maintain this important site as a member. Learn more at the new website: EellsHouseQuincy.com.
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