Image: Farm of Abolitionists James Lawton
Due to the large interest in the upcoming talk, it has been moved to Thomas Hall Room 124 on the Marietta College campus. Please continue to make your reservations so we can monitor the number of attendees expected. See map below registration for information on parking and directions.
In this presentation, Caleb Davis will examine the roles and relationships between African Americans and White settlers in Southeastern Ohio. Drawing on evidence from diary entries corroborated by census and tax records, the talk will explore how individuals from both communities will have worked together to establish successful networks within the Underground Railroad—benefiting not only themselves but many others seeking freedom. The focus will center on Washington County, with particular attention to Belpre, Marietta, Vincent, and Waterford, as well as Wood County, including areas of Parkersburg. Davis will highlight the lives of well-known abolitionists such as James Lawton, Edmund Dana, and Jonathan Stone, alongside formerly enslaved and free Black men including Harry Bartlett and Micajah Phillips, emphasizing the cooperative efforts that will have made the Underground Railroad in this region possible.
Reservations are required.
This program is donation-based.
Speaker: Caleb Davis
Caleb Davis is a prospective 2026 graduate of Marietta College, where he studies History and Education with the goal of becoming a local history teacher. He is currently student teaching at Warren High School and serves as an assistant baseball coach. A 2022 graduate of Warren High School, Davis initially attended Shawnee State University before transferring to Marietta College in 2024.
Reservations are required.
This program is donation-based.
