PENNSBURG PA – A free Juneteenth Day lecture about the rise of the Underground Railroad in Southeastern Pennsylvania is scheduled for Wednesday (June 19, 2024) in Pennsburg.
The Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center on Seminary Street will host the noon presentation by historian Randolph Harris of Lancaster.
Harris will discuss the rise of abolitionism in Southeastern Pennsylvania from about 1780 through 1860. He will focus on people and places connected to events that led to the movement known by the 1830s as the Underground Railroad.
His talk is part of the center’s “Brown Bag Lecture” series. The lectures continue to be free this year under the sponsorship of KeyBank.
The lecture is available in-person or virtually. Call 215-679-3103 or send an e-mail to info@schwenkfelder.org to reserve your place or get the Zoom link.
With U.S. national history before the Civil War as context, the presentation focuses on the Lower Susquehanna River Valley. A key portion of the area represents a span of 80 miles. It tracks from Wrightsville (York County) and Columbia to the City of Lancaster, and east through Christiana, Chester County, and Philadelphia.
This was the west-to-east path taken by thousands of freedom seekers. They generally were drawn to Philadelphia, and points further north. Among places illustrated in the presentation are historic properties recognized by the National Park Service as authentic sites associated with the Underground Railroad. That’s where some of the earliest, and most nationally significant, episodes of resistance occurred against slavery.
The heritage center is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays from 1-4 p.m. Admission to visit exhibits, or conduct research in the library, is free.
Learn how to research your family history
Eager to learn about genealogy research? Amalea and Mark Hendrickson will share their expertise and experiences with the local Genealogy Club in a free talk Thursday (June 20) at 6:30 p.m. in the Upper Perkiomen Valley Library, 350 Main St., Red Hill.
The Hendricksons are volunteers who are digitizing historical records in the Schwenkfelder library. Their presentation will offer insights into using FamilySearch for genealogical journeys.
The library & heritage center has many records for conducting family history. It is advisable to call 215-679-3103, or send an e-mail to info@schwenkfelder.org, ahead of a planned visit to ensure library materials ready for research.
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