Underground Railroad Museum Celebrates Black History Month
Guests Attend Special Events
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FLUSHING -- Kelly Grady of Flushing took her 11-year-old daughter McKayla to visit the Underground Railroad Museum in Flushing on Saturday because of the important history lessons she believed could be learned while attending an event that marked the first day of Black History Month.
More than 60 people turned out at the museum late Saturday morning for a number of scheduled activities designed to mark the important occasion and to remind local residents of the legacy left behind by the late John and Rosalind Mattox. The couple founded the museum in 1993 to preserve the past for future generations, according to museum Director Kristina Estle. Their children, John Mattox Jr. and Suzanne Evans, are now working with a board of directors to carry on their legacy. In keeping with its mission, the museum scheduled a number of activities to open Black History Month on Saturday morning and welcomed guests of all ages to participate.
With its extensive collection of publications, books, memorabilia and artifacts, the museum aims to educate and inform people young and old about the history of the slave trade, the treacherous route to freedom and the African-Americans who were held in servitude as well as their descendants and their fight for true equality. In addition to its portrayal of the bigger, national picture, the facility focuses on the role local individuals have played in that story.
"We wanted to do something for the beginning of Black History Month, which begins today (Feb. 1), and we wanted to do something to bring the locals into the museum," Estle said.
She noted that after the death of John Mattox Sr. in July, the staff of the museum had become fearful that many area residents would think the museum was closed. Estle said Saturday's events provided a great opportunity to shine attention back on the museum and its mission.
Saturday's events began at 10 a.m. with a coffee hour, followed by a PowerPoint presentation and lecture by Estle on the history of the museum and the Underground Railroad.
Beginning at 11 a.m., Cathy Nelson, founder of the Friends of Freedom Society of Columbus, read age-appropriate stories of the Underground Railroad to youngsters in the museum's second-floor gathering room. Nelson is an expert on the Underground Railroad, according to Estle. Nelson said history is a collection of stories, and the museum is filled with stories of the past as well as stories of its founders and the items they collected.
Guided tours were provided at the museum beginning at noon with guides pointing out some of the facility's most popular items.
Visitors were offered the opportunity to answer questions on a supplied quiz that allowed them to learn more about the Underground Railroad and helped provide a better understanding of American culture in the 1800s as they toured the building in search of 10 specific museum artifacts. Estle said she selected a "wide variety" of artifacts as part of the quiz to touch on many topics.
Grady said her daughter is a big history enthusiast and wanted to visit the museum to learn more about the Underground Railroad during Saturday's event. Grady followed her daughter around the building as the two looked over a variety of artifacts and memorabilia.
"I was excited to come myself today, and what you learn is unbelievable -- the difference from then and now," Grady said.
Grady added that she teaches her children about the importance of all people loving one another.
Regular museum hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and on Saturdays by appointment only. Call 740-968-2080 or 740-391-3135 to schedule an appointment.