In the early 2000’s, the Buffalo Quarters Historical Society staged reenactments of the trip from Freedom Park to Fort Erie in Canada. While these no longer occur, the need for understanding and remembrance is vital. On the grounds of the park is the first iteration of the Underground Railroad Museum, which opened in 2017, and crossing into the park a mural “The Road to Freedom” (2022, Gino Morrow II artist) depicting Harriet Tubman leading people to freedom can be seen.
The museum, murals, and other plaques found in the park are just the first steps in a process in fully developing a complete history showing in detail, the horrors of slavery and the role the park played as a path to freedom. It serves a tribute for all who endured and sacrificed to get the freedom that should have been a birthright. It is a history of those who made the dangerous river crossing and remembering those who lost their life attempting to cross. Our current museum is a start to telling that story. In time, a more complete experience will be available, hopefully housed on Niagara and Breckenridge Streets.
“The ground on which we stand is sacred ground. It is the blood of our ancestors.”
— Unknown
