Pouring through the stacks and vertical files at the local historical society while doing research for his senior project at American University, Anthony Cohen “found” the Underground Railroad in Montgomery County. Runaway slave notices revealed escape routes, courthouse documents named accomplices, and slave narratives helped piece the stories together. His research led to the identification of over 30 points of interest in the county that related to the Underground Railroad, six routes of escape, and three safe houses—as well as an idea that would take him, on foot, from Sandy Spring, Md to Canada.

This is the second in a series of two episodes that explore Cohen’s work, listen to Episode 10 | Button Farm: Hands-on History Experiment to learn more.

Transcript available on episode webpage.