Grantee Partner Spotlight: Architreasures June 2022

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A historic photo of the Ton farm. From the Collection of Larry McClellan

MORE ON THE LCRUGRR PROJECT

JAN AND AAGJE TON FARMLCRUGRR FACEBOOK GROUP

Q3: HOW DID YOU ARRIVE AT DOING WHAT YOU DO?

Manwah Lee: Currently, Illinois Humanities is supporting Architreasures’ work to design signage and displays for the Little Calumet River Underground Railroad Project, which organizes tours and events that share the history of the Underground Railroad in Chicago’s Riverdale neighborhood. I met Tom Shepherd, the lead organizer of the project, about 3 years ago at a community visioning and planning charrette, where the Underground Railroad was identified as a point of interest and destination opportunity in the neighborhood. The location of the Ton farm safehouse in Riverdale is part of the National Park Service’s Network to Freedom program, but you wouldn’t know this if you just came up to the site. So we’re developing markers to highlight the area.

There are so many interesting histories associated with Chicago neighborhoods that are little known. I’ve had a lifelong interest piecing together my own history which was hard to identify in mainstream narratives growing up. 

I believe we have so much more appreciation for where we come from when we learn about our communities’ histories and what our ancestors overcame. So I’m thrilled to be able to learn and share stories about Freedom Seekers and abolitionists who were part of the Underground Railroad on Chicago’s far south side as part of my work with Architreasures.

Q4: WHO MAKES YOUR WORK POSSIBLE?

Manwah Lee: An amazing group of volunteers have kept activities of the LCRUGRR project going for more than 20 years! In addition to Tom Shepherd, Dr. Larry McClellan is another long-time leader of the project and the historian who completed all the research on the Ton farm site. Chicago’s Finest Marina currently sits on the former Ton farm location, and we’re lucky the owner Ron Gaines is enthusiastic about featuring artwork and signage about the Underground Railroad on the property. In addition to Illinois Humanities, Architreasures is also grateful to receive support from the Builders Initiative for our work in Riverdale.

SUGGESTED READINGS BY MANWAH LEE:

• Larry’s [McClellan] book The Underground Railroad South of Chicago published by Thorn Creek Press, 2019 discusses the Ton farm site at some length.
• In 2023, Southern Illinois University Press will also be publishing his [Larry McClellan] book Barefoot to Chicago: Freedom Seekers and the Underground Railroad in Northeastern Illinois.