Pennsylvania played a role in underground railroad after slave escaped to Altoona

GALLITZIN, Pa. (WTAJ) — During the month of September, the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site recognized International Underground Railroad Month.

The Allegheny Portage Railroad was the final piece of the Pennsylvania Main Line Canal . "The Portage" opened in 1834, marking the first time that there was one, direct route between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. According to the National Park Service, it served merchants, passengers, slaves in pursuit of freedom, and soldiers from the Mexican War.

For 10 days, the historic site put a spotlight on Jacob Green .

Jacob Green was a freedom seeker who escaped from a plantation in Romney, Virginia, which is now part of West Virginia. He was owned by Colonel Isaac Parsons.

Jacob's first escape was in August 1855. According to the National Park Service, 'at some point later, Green returned, took a horse and escaped for a second time. In October of that year Green returned yet again and this time brought with him five slaves who escaped from the farm of Mr. Stump, a relative and close neighbor of Colonel Parsons.'

"He was on his way north. And he went back to that area several times and actually was able to help other people escape as well. And some of those folks were caught and with information gathered, they learned that Jacob Green was likely heading to Pennsylvania and was going to use the mainline canal to get to Pittsburgh," Elizabeth Shope, Public Information Officer for the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site said.

With the new information they'd received, Parsons and his men created a plan to catch Green. Colonel Parsons was in Johnstown, James Parsons Jr., his nephew, was in Hollidaysburg, and Mr. Stump, was in Altoona.

That brings us to October 1855, when Jacob takes a seat in a train car at Hollidaysburg with a ticket to Pittsburgh.

James Parsons Jr. gets in the same car, recognizes Green, and calls out to him.

Green jumps off of the train car with Parsons Jr. chasing after him. With an arrest warrant issued from the state of Virginia, his goal is to capture Jacob and take him back.

"So there were a lot of abolitionists in Hollidaysburg that came to the aid of Jacob Green. And as Parson's Jr. is trying to take Green back with him, an unfriendly crowd gathers and they're shouting things, people are drawing their fists, and they don't feel that Parsons Jr. has the right to take Jacob Green back to Virginia with him," Shope said.

A short while later the Magistrate and Sheriff determined that Parsons Jr. does not have the authority to take Green back since the arrest warrant he has was issued in Virginia, and not reissued in Pennsylvania.

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"I think the whole opposition to slavery as a whole took effect. I could see where people – you as somebody from the South are not going to come into Pennsylvania and dictate what we're going to do with someone who is in Pennsylvania. So the abolitionist network was very strong. So I could see where they would stand up and say you're not doing this," Barb Zaborowski, Dean of Library Services at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College said.

Parsons Jr. is instead arrested and charged with attempted kidnapping, which gives Jacob time to get away.

Parsons is later acquitted of all charges.

"They tell him, go back to Virginia. Don't come back into Pennsylvania. But when you think about it, at that point, the Civil War could have almost started in Hollidaysburg, which makes this story so incredible. It was a little-known story," Zaborowski said.

A little-known story that earned the Allegheny Portage Railroad a designation on the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom with a verifiable connection to the Underground Railroad.

There are currently over 700 Network to Freedom locations in 39 states, plus Washington D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada.

As for Green's story, it's recorded that he was never seen again in Hollidaysburg. It's also speculated that he traveled through the mountains and continued north to the safety of Canada. However, Barb disagrees, believing that Green has a reason to go back to Virginia.

"I followed up where he could have ended up. And there is a record of a Jacob Green in Augusta County, Virginia, which is not far from where his family was, who ended up being a farmer. And I'm thinking that perhaps this was him. I mean, the age is kind of right. I mean, he appears in the 1870 census, and he is listed in a couple of books in the history of Augusta County as being a black man who was running a farm, who, like I said, is not far from the where his family was originally from. I think this is him. I think he went back to Virginia after the war, after the Civil War and I think he lived a life not far from where he grew up," she said.

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September was chosen to represent International Underground Railroad Month because it was the month that two of the most well-known freedom seekers and Underground Railroad operatives, Frederick Douglas and Harriet Tubman, escaped from slavery.

"I think they should really start to explore this underground railroad because as much as we have uncovered, there's more to be uncovered. There is," Zaborowski said.