50.0°
Fog/Mist
5 Day Forecast
CBS Logo
Police Believe Body of Nichole Cable Found - More Information . . .
Closed Captioning Information

Viewer Submitted Pictures

Wild blueberry flowers at Mount Blue State park.

Courtesy: Jeremy I Hills

Full Gallery - Submit Pictures

TV5 Forecast Center

radar
Full Weather Forecast >

Maine's Underground Railroad, Part One


5

Maine was the last stop before freedom, for many passengers travelling along the underground railroad.

It's believed there are about 75 "stops" in our state.

Researching Maine's role in the underground railroad is difficult, because not a lot of it is written down.

And that includes the former Holyoke house in Brewer, now home to the Chamberlain Freedom Park.

But local historians say enough oral history has been gathered, to prove this site played a pivotal role in the flight to freedom.

Joy Hollowell begins a special report on Maine's role in the freedom trail.
+++++++++++++++++
"This is our impression of what occurred here in Brewer, Maine concerning the freeing of the slaves. And the part that we're quite proud of is that it was pivotal."

Dick Campbell was a key developer of the Chamberlain Freedom Park. He says the statue is strategically placed.

"This was the location of what was reported to be the underground tunnel, and it was located in the summer kitchen basement," according to Campbell.

The home belonged to the Holyoke family.

"they were early abolishionists. May or may not have been connected to Hannibal Hamlin, the first abolishionist under President Lincoln," says Campbell.

According to Campbell, the Holyokes owned a shipping pier under what is now the Penobscot bridge.

"They were transported by water, by the river, through the horizontal and then the vertical piece of the shaft that we're standing on right now. We found pegs in the construction of the shaft. And then, they were storied during the day, out of sight, in the eaves of this old real brick house, and then transported at night, again through the shaft and to the riverbank," says Campbell.

Campbell says he's well aware of local folklore claiming the tunnel wasn't part of the underground railroad, but instead used to transport whiskey during prohibition.

"Well, I don't think so. I think the Holyokes were very caring people and the societal connections from mid-Atlantic states to Brewer, no it is real," says Campbell.

Campbell also points to what is believed to be a slave shirt. It was found in the attic of the Holyoke house, after it was torn down. The shirt is now on display at the Brewer Historical Society.

"We believe this is the high water mark of the slaves flee to freedom because the next step was Canada," says Campbell.
=================
The state legislature has dedicated the Chamberlain Freedom Park in Brewer as an official site of the Underground Railroad in Maine.


Print this Story

Comments

Joy,
Thank you for doing this enlightening feature on a small piece of our heritage. Maine and the Penobscot Valley has played a large role in our nations history.
From the beginning with the ships of the Penobscot Expedition,( Paul Reveere's ship ) at the bottom of the Penobscot River in Brewer to Joshua Chamberlain and the Civil War and Bill Cohen as Secretary of Defense we have always played that role with dedication and honor.
Thanks again for keeping the past alive.
Dick Campbell
Dick Campbell Dick Campbell 04/28/2009 09:03 pm
If you were an escaped slave from say, South Carolina, and you were trying to reach Canada unrecognized, would you still be wearing the same old slave shirt you wore back on the plantation a thousand miles away in Brewer? And why go all the way through Maine when the Canadian border with Pennsylvania is hundreds of miles closer? There is apparently no evidence that this site was on the Underground Railroad except for an old worn out shirt. I don't suppose a carpenter doing work on the house long ago would have used an old shirt as a rag and then left it behind. What a waste of money on "fake" if not unproven history when there are people in Brewer who don't know where their next meal is coming form.
John John 04/29/2009 12:39 pm
amazing
joshee joshee 01/05/2012 11:49 am
wow
frswsdfghuyrdfh frswsdfghuyrdfh 02/13/2012 12:39 pm

Add your Comments

Add your comments to the discussion. By submitting a comment, you agree to the terms of the terms of use and are 18 years of age or older.

Fields marked with a * are required.

Want a personal picture next to your comment? Sign up for a free Gravatar or post with your facebook account.

Facebook Comments

Breaking News from CBS


See more CBS Live Feed