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home & garden in the know: Continued on from page 14 Permanent Exhibit “Intersections: The Underground Railroad in Chautauqua County” Fenton History Center 67 Washington Street, Jamestown, N.Y. When: Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Monday 4 to 9 p.m. Info: www.fentonhistorycenter.org John Brown Tannery and Museum 17620 John Brown Road, Guys Mills, Pa. When: Open year-round; PHMC Historical Marker on Tannery site Info: Farm and Museum tours by appointment, Donna Coburn, 814-720-2873 Harry T. Burleigh Society Info: www.burleighsociety.org Safe Harbor: A Story of the Underground Railroad in northwestern PA Main Street Media Inc. Info: www.wqln.org/safeharbor The Abolitionists American Experience docudrama premiered in January — Info: www.wqln.org, www.pbs.org/ wgbh/americanexperience/films/ abolitionists See page 45 for an interview with the producer “The Underground Railroad” Independent feature film to be shot in and around northwestern Pennsylvania: Storyline follows a college law student who, on a bet, must travel to Canada along the Underground Railroad. Info: www.grantlarsonproductions.com The Underground Railroad in Girard: The Myth and Fact Amy Jones, Journal of Erie Studies, Fall 2001 Erie County History Center Info: www.eriecountyhistory.org, www.wqln.org/safeharbor February2013 The church is long gone, but through her research Lyon discovered she was literally sitting on top of the old foundation. Debbi and her husband Mike ran Record Country at 3306 Buffalo Road, the site of the old church, until 2004. “I had no idea,” says Debbi, who works in the Heritage Room in Erie’s Blasco Library. “I was blown away.” Local author Stephanie Wincik, who begins her Underground Railroad tours at the Universalist Church in Girard (by appointment) says, “Even though you live in a small town, it is important to know that some very brave people once lived here, and risked everything to help people moving through. A great sense of pride comes from knowing some significant events happened right here.” Albert and Shirley Deiner’s stone house at 3506 East Lake Road, built in 1832, once had a tunnel that ran from the basement to Four Mile Creek, leading many to speculate that it was a stop on the Underground Railroad. Jim Van Dyne of the Lawrence Park Historical Society is skeptical. He says there is no firm documentation to support the claim. The tunnel, if added during Prohibition, could have been used to hide hooch, not slaves. Sarah Thompson, on the other hand, says the evidence is circumstantial, but “depending on the age of the house, who was living in the area, and what other activity can be documented nearby, it’s reasonable to surmise the property owners were involved.” Twelve miles to the east is the home of Jeff and Carol Bolan on Freeport Road, a stone’s throw from Lake Erie and the mouth of Sixteen Mile Creek. Built in 1835 for abolitionist Philetus “John” Glas, who established Erie County’s first foundry nearby, it was one of several properties in the vicinity known to provide a safe haven to fugitives. “I’ve always loved this house,” says Jeff, who has gone to great pains to preserve the integrity of the structure, and its story. He’s repainted bricks, reglazed windows, and strengthened the pillars on the wraparound porch. He’s quick to show visitors how an adult could squeeze through the small trapdoor in an upstairs bedroom, should a sheriff come knocking in search of a runaway. Lately, it’s history buffs who come calling, or an occasional fisherman from Pittsburgh who wants to know more about the area and its role in the Underground Railroad. A dramatic rescue that doesn’t end well is documented in great detail in Francis Newton Thorpe’s A Constitutional History of the American People (1898). Bolan thinks the Civil War’s 150th anniversary is causing people to take a closer look at people and places in their own backyards. Following the trail The local Underground Railroad story includes many other people and places throughout the Lake Erie Region, and documentation is far from finished. Sarah Thompson hopes to explore the role of the Erie Extension Canal and to spend more time following leads in Edinboro and Cambridge Springs. Online archival collections that include letters, diaries, documents, and 19th century newspapers are enabling historians to connect the dots from community to community. Just when you think there are no new discoveries to make, a researcher will stumble across a most amazing find. At the conclusion of “Runaway Slaves,” an award-winning book by historians John Hope Franklin and Loren Schweninger, is a beautifully written letter by Joseph Taper. He describes in great detail his escape from bondage in Virginia, his travels through western Pennsylvania and his work on a farm near Erie, where he met up with several people he knew from the south before settling in St. Catharine’s, Ontario. Taper’s powerful story is told at the end of the documentary, Safe Harbor, produced in 2003 for national distribution on public television. The stories continue to touch a new generation, says Chris Magoc, Ph.D., Mercyhurst University history professor and department chair. In his essay, “The Power of Place,” published in “Rethinking the Teaching of American History,” edited by Michael P. Federici and published in 2012, he speaks of the deep connections formed when a student steps foot on hallowed ground. “Taking students to a local patch of woods or a stream where African Americans and brave white supporters knowingly violated federal law and risked their lives to support human freedom strengthens the potential to establish an emotional connection to this critical chapter in American history,” writes Magoc. The same can be true for each of us, if we assume the role of lifelong learner. Like Magoc, I’d like to think that old bonds broken can lead to new ones. LEL www.lakeerielifestyle.com
Avantis Chicken Parmigiana — Pete Sitter Avantis Restaurant 1662 W. Eighth St. (corner of West Eighth St. and Lincoln Avenue), Erie 814-456-3096 www.avantiseriepa.com Hours: Breakfast and lunch, daily until 3 p.m.; dinner, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 5:30 to 9 p.m. Menu: Changes daily, Italian, seafood, American Price: $4 (soup) to $25 (entree) for the love of food Lake Erie LifeStyle asked readers for their favorite romantic restaurant meal and here’s what you said: Peppino’s always has fantastic food and a relaxing, cozy atmosphere. Always love going there with my husband. — Trina Manios Baldwin Peppino’s steak and risotto — Jill Thompson Slomski Peppino’s Wine Bar & Chop House West Lake Road, Fairview 814-474-2016 www.peppinoschophouse.com Hours: Dinner, Tuesday through Saturday Menu: Italian, steaks Price:$3 (soup) to $30-plus (entree) By Marnie Mead My favorite meal is baked asparagus, Chicken in pistachio sauce and artichoke ravioli ... Where? My house! — Marc Berarducci You can find some of Marc Berarducci’s creations at Frankie & May Fresh Grocer 1111 Peninsula Drive CVS plaza, Erie 814-836-0070 www.frankieandmay.com Hours: Daily Menu: Grocery, meat counter, prepared foods limited, cafe bon appetít Syd’s blackened prime rib and wine — Paula Bruno-Umlah Syd’s Place 2992 West Lake Road, Erie 814-838-3089 Hours: Dinner, Tuesday through Saturday Menu: American, seafood (kid friendly) Price: $10 to $30 (entree) www.lakeerielifestyle.com February2013 Lake Erie LifeStyle 17
Page 1 and 2: ELLICOTTVILLE ESCAPETO ALL SEASONS
Page 4: contents FOR THE LOVE OF HISTORY Fe
Page 7 and 8: from the editor A MONTH TO LOVE Wha
Page 9 and 10: contributors FEBRUARY 2013 “To se
Page 11 and 12: Why is it that 150 years after Linc
Page 13 and 14: persons who managed to break free k
Page 15: home & garden Cyclists on the Under
Page 19 and 20: Colao’s, hand s down! — Cathy M
Page 21 and 22: Brushwood Folklore Center inspires
Page 23 and 24: “Brushwood considers all art form
Page 25 and 26: Alpha Phi Alpha,’” he recalls.
Page 27 and 28: lost art of love letters A written
Page 29 and 30: Wine? Chocolate? I’m yours. WHEN
Page 31 and 32: Story by Marissa Rosenbaum Contribu
Page 33 and 34: Ellicottville four seasons of fun f
Page 35 and 36: “OK, LET’S FIGURE THIS OUT,”
Page 37 and 38: top, from left to right: Authentic
Page 39 and 40: Mike Machuga with some of his famil
Page 41 and 42: Charles Rush and Denise Mosley, dir
Page 43 and 44: Les and Willina Thoms. Ramona Anasa
Page 45 and 46: In“The Abolitionists,” John Bro
Page 47 and 48: Loveison Air the By Tom New It’s
Page 49 and 50: See Se See the Cherry Blossoms in B
Page 51: Events Beers,Bikes Bands There are

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