Underground Railroad topic of Wednesday's meeting

NORWALK — The September meeting of the Firelands Historical Society will have a presentation on the history of antislavery, abolition and the Underground Railroad in the Sandusky area. The meeting will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Molly Sampson, executive director of the Maritime Museum of Sandusky, will be the guest speaker. A native of Northwest Ohio and a BGSU alumna, she is passionate about sharing her love of history. Sampson will speak on how the Sandusky Bay was a major locus of the Underground Railroad because of its location along key transportation lines. Freedom seekers from border states began making their way to Sandusky in the 1820s — many of them continuing across the lake to Canada where slavery was abolished. This informative presentation will analyze the history of antislavery and the Underground Railroad in the Firelands, providing information about the lake crossing and how research is done and interpreted in the 21st century. The program is open to the public at the Laning Young Research Center on Case Avenue. Refreshments will be served.