Jackson Train Station

In the decades leading up to the American Civil War, Jackson, Michigan, was both a hub and a haven for thousands of slaves escaping through the Underground Railroad. Jackson's freight depot, along with the original passenger depot 1 1/2 blocks west, formed a freedom corridor that enabled many freedom seekers to escape to Detroit and Canada, the land of freedom, by hiding among cargo on fast rail transportation despite the danger of arrest, return to slavery, or worse if discovered. Several community leaders and families in Jackson secretly housed, clothed, fed, and reassured runaways, while others who supported slavery openly hunted and punished escaped slaves or anyone aiding their flight, and some northerners captured runaways and returned them to servitude. Not every slave on the Underground Railroad escaped.

Jackson, Michigan · United States