Underground Railroad Shelter

Ozem Gardner came to central Ohio from Ostego County, New York, in 1817. He worked as brickmaker until he could save enough money to purchase 65 acres of farmland on Flint Road in 1821. He lived in a log cabin until late 1830's, then built a brick farmhouse in 1850 that still stands. An active member of the Anti-Slavery Society of Worthington, Gardner operated an Underground Railroad station on his property. It has been said that he assisted more than 200 enslaved people on their journey to seek freedom in Canada. Ozem Gardner lived in this home until his death in 1880. According to oral tradition, those seeking freedom found lodging on the Ozem Gardner land in a structure that looked like a dugout. A small one room structure, it was built into the bank of the creek that flowed through the Gardner farmlands. Possible uses for the structure may have been storage or a site for burning brick. People fleeing slavery found shelter there until Gardner could assist them on their trip to the next station along one of several underground railroad trails that continued from that location. It has been said that on cold nights, Gardner brought the travelers into his house for warmth. An infant of one of the travelers died and was buried in the home's basement, according to oral history. This photograph depicts the shelter as it appeared in 1997.