I had the privilege of participating in the "Hike the Freedom Trail" tour a few days ago. This event was organized by the Forest Preserve of Cook County and Tom Shepherd. The tour was narrated by Larry McClellan. Tom is the lead project organizer for the Midwest Underground Railroad Network (MURN), which was formerly known as the Little Calumet River Underground Railroad Project.
Larry McClellan
The tour started at Cal Sag in Beaubien Woods. The water extends east toward the Atlantic Ocean and west toward the Mississippi River, eventually leading to the Gulf of Mexico, with Chicago situated in the middle.
Cal Sag
We boarded the bus for our journey. From the bus, we could see an isolated housing project called Marie Homes. Next, we passed Hazel Johnson Way, named after Hazel Johnson, who is considered the mother of the environmental justice movement. The bus traveled along the southern edge of Chicago, where we observed a housing project that began in the 1960s.
Our first stop was to view the Chicago to Detroit bridges on the Calumet River. These bridges are unique, featuring a wiggly design. Freedom seekers once traversed these bridges. We also saw a specific bridge for the Illinois Central Railroad, which is now a Metro Electric line.
The next stop was the Village of Riverdale, located on the southeast border of Chicago. This village is less than four square miles in size and is committed to building a stronger and better community.
Afterward, we saw the Golden Gate community.
We disembarked again at Tom Farm, where we visited the oldest Black family-owned marina. Its owner, Ron Gaines, was presen there and he generously shared some insights about the marina with us. He also took the time to mingle with attendees and answer questions.
Larry showed us an area which is approximately two blocks in size. This area still has no water and electricity. We witnessed some garbage dumped in this area.
Larry narrated several stories highlighting how the Dutch community assisted freedom seekers along the way.
