One Tank Trip: Underground Railroad Stop
It was the most dangerous trip they would ever take, and the reward was freedom. To get there, runaway slaves followed the underground railroad. And you don't have to go far to find some of places where they stopped along the way. WFMZ's Karin Mallett takes us on a One Tank Trip to the Central Pennsylvania African American Museum. The beauty is in its simplicity, an unassuming red brick providing protection.. a source of solace for those who found their way here. >> FRANK GILYARD: If you tried to imagine what they put up with- Those that were coming through this stop only had two things in mind: free or death.. free or death.
>> REPORTER: The choice was clear and the old Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church on North 10th Street in Reading was a stop on the Underground Railroad.. giving refuge to runaway slaves. It's one of nine documented stops in Berks County and one of the places you'll see on a new bus tour. The upstairs has been a museum since 1998.. dedicated to preserving local African American history. Downstairs is a door to what curator and lifelong Reading resident Frank Gilyard calls the "pit".
>> GILYARD: Others may call it a hiding space or hole in the ground but we call it a pit.
>> REPORTER: A door to the floor reveals a 10 by 20 foot space..
>> GILYARD: Some place can be in the ceiling, floor space, closet, anything they could disguise.. they disguised.
>> REPORTER: Gilyard says bounty hunters tended to stay away out of respect for the church.. there was a reverence then that may have enabled this to be one of the safer stops.
>> GILYARD: To imagine over 40,000 slaves fled to Canada without a road map. It just shows you the ingenious of their minds.
>> REPORTER: Some of the routes are mapped out.. giving us an idea of the paths they traveled on the way to freedom. Tracking history on a One Tank Trip to the Central Pennsylvania African American Museum in Reading, Karin Mallett 69 News Berks Edition.
One-way distance from downtown Reading: 1 mile
One-way time from downtown Reading: 3 minutes
( Video won't play? CLICK HERE for some helpful suggestions )
Share on Facebooke-mail story | print view | rss feeds | wireless | google desktop | podcast
Due to the fact that some scripts seen here are finished shortly before airtime, there may be misspellings and grammatical errors. They may also contain phonetic spellings of names and places. Some of the interviews and live segments may not be scripted. COPYRIGHT NOTICE This information is for personal viewing only and may not be retransmitted or used for any other purpose. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. Neither these AP materials nor any portion therof may be stored in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use. AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing.
|
|
|
HOME
NEWS
WEATHER
TRAFFIC
SPORTS
DATABANK
SKYCAMS
EMAIL
MAP
|
Woman Killed In Accident At The Lehigh Valley Mall