9. The Lancaster, Pennsylvania Network
Lancaster’s African American community and sympathetic residents established a hub of secret networks, often using railroad depots and private homes for concealment. Thaddeus Stevens, a fierce abolitionist congressman, famously aided escapees from his law office and residence, defying even federal pursuers. Archaeological excavations at Stevens’ home revealed a hidden cistern connected to a concealed tunnel, believed to have been used as a hiding place for fugitives (lancasterhistory.org).
