At 29 Middle Street, Charles H.L. Pierre operated a hack stand. In the fall of 1857, he led the African American men who rescued the stowaway aboard HMS Albion Cooper. In the mid-1800s, professional opportunities for freed Blacks were limited, and most worked as hack drivers, barbers, or second-hand clothing dealers. Members of these professions were essential to moving passengers on the Underground Railroad to freedom in Canada and England.