Woodland Cemetery was the first site in the City of Cleveland to become a member of the National Park Service Underground Railroad Network to Freedom by nominating Sara Lucy Bagby Johnson, Hiram Wilson, John Brown and Edward Wade.  This has inspired us to do additional research of those residing in the cemetery who were part of the history of the Underground Railroad (UGRR).  We have learned, while creating a cemetery tour guide of the Underground Railroad residents in Woodland Cemetery, that nine are in undocumented graves and the Vosburgh monument has toppled over and needs to be fixed.

Absence of evidence is NOT evidence of absence.  As with much of Black History being left out of textbooks, lack of headstones for LEADERS of the Underground Railroad means that people doing self-guided tours will never find these people, who sacrificed life and property to help Freedom Seekers.  We want to correct this absence of headstones so graves can be documented and their stories will be told with our UGRR cemetery tour guides.  We also seek donations to restore the George Vosburgh monument (he is one of only 2 Black leaders of the Underground Railroad with a memorial).

It is important to provide a physical remembrance to tell their stories to educate current and future visitors and tourists to this historic cemetery. Once their resting place can be found, the educational possibilities are limitless.  History is in your own backyard Clevelanders.