Presentation On The Underground Railroad

The Poestenkill Historical Society will be celebrating Black History Month with a special presentation on The Underground Railroad. The guest speaker will be Judy Rowe, Sand Lake historian. Rowe has researched and written many articles and given workshops and lectures in many areas. Her lecture, “The Invisible Road to Freedom,” focuses on the Underground Railroad in Rensselaer County.
The Underground Railroad received its name in the early 1800s when a plantation owner’s slave suddenly disappeared. He remarked he must have gotten away on an “underground road.” Later, railroad terminology was used to form the Underground Railroad. Slaves were passengers. Conductors helped slaves from one station to another. Tracks denoted different routes on the underground, and stations were the hiding places where the slaves could eat and rest.
The program will take place on Tuesday, February 28, at the Poestenkill Town Hall (Rt. 351) at 7 pm. The public is invited, and refreshments will be served. For more information, please contact Pat at 518-283-5223.