[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 193 (Tuesday, December 13, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1266-E1267]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     COMMEMORATING THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD IN BIRMINGHAM, MICHIGAN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. HALEY M. STEVENS

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 13, 2022

  Ms. STEVENS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the City of 
Birmingham, Michigan, for its role in the American abolitionist 
movement and to recognize the bravery and sacrifice of those who risked 
their lives seeking freedom from the atrocity of slavery in the United 
States. As important work continues to appropriately recognize and 
educate around this terrible period of American history, it is a great 
honor to highlight the story of Birmingham, Michigan, and two 
individuals who dedicated themselves to helping others achieve their 
freedom.
  The Birmingham Museum of Birmingham, Michigan, documented the 
remarkable role the city and its residents played in the anti-slavery 
movement through its research into Birmingham's Black heritage. The 
city was proud to submit its application to list Birmingham's Greenwood 
Cemetery on the National Park Service's Underground Railroad Network to 
Freedom list. Birmingham's application to the network was officially 
accepted in March of 2022 and was further recognized by the Michigan 
Freedom Trail Commission. The stories of two men, Elijah S. Fish and 
George B. Taylor, were compiled as accounts of Birmingham's connection 
to the Underground Railroad, and I would like to share more about their 
harrowing stories today.
  Elijah S. Fish was among the first settlers to purchase land in what 
is now Birmingham, Michigan, in 1820. Mr. Fish's land acquisition 
occurred just two years after Birmingham's founding as one of the 
oldest settlements in Michigan. Described as a ``principled and 
hardworking man,'' Mr. Fish became an influential figure in 
Birmingham's early history, founding its first Presbyterian Church and 
becoming its first deacon. As territorial Michigan grew, Birmingham 
became an important stop along the route from Detroit to Pontiac. Its 
convenient location expanded Birmingham's potential to influence 
regional economy and politics, and Mr. Fish seized upon this 
opportunity to become a key figure in the abolition movement of early 
Michigan.
  Mr. Fish served as a dedicated organizer of anti-slavery efforts 
through the associations he formed with other abolitionists, such as 
lawyer and state legislator George Wisner of Pontiac and Quaker 
activist Nathan Power of Farmington. Even before Michigan was granted 
statehood, Mr. Fish and 50 other abolitionists founded the Oakland 
County Free Discussion and Anti-Slavery Society, His work with the 
organization continued throughout the early 1840's, as he continued to 
fight to end the enslavement of black Americans from his home in 
Birmingham, Michigan.
  By 1840, Michigan had developed a strong network of anti-slavery 
organizers and thousands of freedom seekers were aided through 
Michigan's Underground Railroad network. As bounty hunters became more 
aggressive in their efforts to recapture freedom-seekers in the region, 
and upon the enactment of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, anti-slavery 
advocates redirected freedom-seekers through the state and toward 
Canada as a safer destination for those escaping enslavement. 
Individuals such as Henry Bibb, an influential abolitionist lecturer, 
relocated across the Detroit River to Windsor, Ontario, around 1850, to 
assist in resettling escapees who arrived via the Underground Railroad 
and began publication of The Voice of the Fugitive. Helping people who 
were enslaved establish new lives in Canada required a system of 
abolitionists on both sides of the border. Organizations such as 
Michigan's Friends of Humanity had active anti-slavery advocates from 
Oakland County such as Elijah Fish and Nathan Power, and Wayne County's 
Reverend Marcus Swift who were instrumental in fueling the continued 
efforts to combat slavery in America and safely usher Black Americans 
to freedom in Canada.
  A convention of anti-slavery advocates was held in May of 1851 in 
Detroit with Elijah Fish presiding as President. The convention 
resulted in the formation of the Refugee Home Society to raise funds 
necessary to make land purchases in Canada for freedom-seekers. Mr. 
Fish remained committed to the cause following the convention by 
funding and providing supplies to freedom-seekers navigating the 
Underground Railroad and by organizing influential abolitionist 
speakers to the region to raise awareness and speak on the anti-slavery 
movement. While Mr. Fish was unable to celebrate the successful 
prohibition of slavery due to his death in February of 1861, his 
contribution to the movement in Michigan helped propel the nation 
toward abolition, a feat that was accomplished just four years after 
his death. His admirable dedication to abolition makes him a noteworthy 
historical figure of Birmingham and deserving of this posthumous 
recognition.
  Mr. George B. Taylor's story illustrates the cruel conditions that 
were withstood by those who were enslaved, and the sacrifices made to 
gain their freedom. Mr. Taylor, like many other people born into 
slavery, did not know his family history and did not have birth 
records, but his estimates place his birth year around 1822 to 1824. 
Despite years of inhumane treatment during his enslavement by the 
Greathouse family of Hancock County, Kentucky, it was not until 1855, 
after experiencing a public whipping, that he became determined to 
escape to the north. Throughout his treacherous and long journey 
northward, he encountered unimaginable risk that was, sadly, not unique 
to him. He narrowly evaded capture by armed bounty hunters who were 
aided by bloodhounds and navigated hundreds of miles of difficult 
terrain using only the stars in the night sky. His journey can be 
described as nothing short of incredible.
  The month-long trip from Hancock, Kentucky, to Michigan was over 300 
miles, and even upon arrival in the north, significant danger remained 
as raids of known abolitionists'

[[Page E1267]]

homes and inconsistent enforcement of laws pertaining to slavery 
victimized freedom-seekers. Of the thousands who escaped toward 
Michigan, many were captured and returned to their enslavers. Upon Mr. 
Taylor's escape, he faced the difficult crossing of the Ohio River, and 
on April 1, 1855, he began a slow, two-week journey through the rugged 
terrain only by night, avoiding settlements and farms to evade capture. 
Deciding his progress was significantly hindered by the darkness, he 
sought to travel by day. Experiencing significant exhaustion as he 
slowly advanced in his travels, he fell asleep in bushes alongside the 
road one day only to be awoken by two bounty hunters and their 
bloodhounds who had taken him prisoner. Narrowly escaping, Mr. Taylor 
hid in the undergrowth as the bloodhounds and gunshots followed. The 
next five days of his trip were inconceivably taxing. He traveled five 
days by foot, without food or water, before being discovered by an 
abolitionist family who helped him regain his health before 
recommencing his trip northward. Although he had walked for three 
weeks, he was still far from his destination.
  Just two days after resuming his trip, he was once again run down by 
bloodhounds. This time, Mr. Taylor was unable to escape his abductors 
and was arrested to be taken before a local justice. Through good 
fortune, the justice, an abolitionist, granted his release, and he 
continued on his way before finally reaching Niles, Michigan. From 
there, the Underground Railroad network assisted him in the final leg 
of his trip, east to Detroit and then to his freedom in Windsor, 
Ontario.
  Two years after achieving his freedom, Mr. Taylor returned to 
Michigan, settling in the Birmingham area. Upon his arrival in rural 
Birmingham, Mr. Taylor worked as a farmhand and began living with Mr. 
J.P. Stewart. The Stewart's neighbor, Reverend James S. T. Milligan of 
the Southfield Reformed Presbyterian Church, was known to be active 
with the Michigan Underground Railroad network and his farm remained a 
safe place for freedom-seekers leading up to the Civil War's 
conclusion. By 1870, slavery had officially been abolished in the 
reunited country, and Mr. Taylor had continued to build his new life in 
Michigan. No longer a laborer, Mr. Taylor now farmed his own land with 
his wife, Mrs. Eliza Dosier, also someone who was formerly enslaved. 
His position as a respected and contributing member of society grew, 
and in 1872, Reverend Milligan sought the Taylors' help to set up a new 
church in Denison, Kansas, relocating the family westward.
  The Taylors returned to Michigan from 1876 to after 1880, when they 
once again relocated to Denison, Kansas. When Milligan retired and left 
Denison, the Taylors returned to Birmingham in 1893, and were proudly 
the first African American property owners in town. While Reverend 
Milligan and Mr. Taylor's connection can be verified through their work 
in Kansas, it is possible that the two had known each other since Mr. 
Taylor's escape in 1855 and remained in contact as anti-slavery 
advocates. Records suggest that, during his time in Michigan, Mr. 
Taylor may have played a key role in resettling newly freed Black 
Americans. Census records show several children present in the 
household who then are absent from the household by the time of the 
next census. While it is difficult to verify, it is speculated that 
Black families, such as the Taylors, were fostering homeless African 
American minors and orphans, continuing their contributions to the 
abolition movement by assisting with their transition to freedom. Mr. 
Taylor faced unimaginable hardship in his early life, but he 
courageously pressed on, finding his purpose in service to others.
  Madam Speaker, it is a great honor to represent the City of 
Birmingham, Michigan, a community that's history is so closely 
intertwined with the fight for a more just nation. Its role as a 
destination for freedom-seekers and home to influential abolitionists, 
including Mr. Elijah S. Fish and Mr. George B. Taylor, makes the 11th 
Congressional District proud. I ask my colleagues to join me in 
celebrating the rich history of Birmingham, Michigan, and honor the two 
men whose stories were highlighted today, and may Michigan maintain its 
role as a destination for freedom-seekers and those who fight for a 
more just society.

                          ____________________