Born nearby on Anthony Thompson's plantation in 1822, Harriet Tubman spent more than 25 years living and laboring in this watery lowland environment. It taught her to navigate creeks and wetlands, forests, and fields, to find food and shelter, and to move about unseen. Her mastery of these skills was vital to her success as one of the best-known conductors on the Underground Railroad. Many of the surrounding landscapes would look familiar to Tubman today, reflecting the places that shaped her life. Harriet Tubman said, "We would rather stay in our native land, if we could be as free there as we are here (in Canada)."