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John P. Parker House
NHL-NPS Photo |
John Parker (1827-1900), a former slave, lived in this house, which has been designated
a National Historic Landmark, from about 1853 until his death, and from
this location planned many rescue attempts of slaves held captive in the
"borderlands" of Kentucky. Born a slave in Norfolk, Virginia,
Parker was sold at the age of eight to a doctor in Mobile, Alabama. The
doctor's family taught Parker to read and write and allowed him to apprentice
in an iron foundry where he was compensated and permitted to keep some
of his earnings. Persuading an elderly female patient of the doctor's
to purchase him, Parker, at the age of 18, bought his freedom from the
woman with money earned from his apprenticeship. Parker moved to southern
Ohio and around 1853 established a successful foundry behind his home
in Ripley. Patenting a number of inventions from his foundry, Parker was
one of only a few African Americans to obtain a U.S. patent in the 19th
century. Though busy with his business, Parker was also active in the
Underground Railroad and is believed to have assisted many slaves to escape
from the Kentucky side of the Ohio River. Parker, who was well-known by
regional slave-catchers, risked his own life when he secreted himself
back into slave territory to lead fugitive slaves to safety in Ripley.
Once the slaves were in Ripley, Parker would deliver them to Underground
Railroad conductors in the town, such as John Rankin,
who would harbor the fugitive slaves and help them to the next depot on
the network. In the 1880s, Parker recounted his life as an Underground
Railroad conductor in a series of interviews with journalist Frank M.
Gregg. These interviews have recently been edited by Stuart Seely Sprague
and published as His Promised Land: The Autobiography of John P. Parker
Former Slave and Conductor on the Underground Railroad.
The John P. Parker House is located in Ripley, Ohio, at 300 Front
St. The house has recently been restored, and is open on weekends from
May through the second weekend in December. Tours are offered 10:00am
to 5:00pm on Saturdays, and 1:00pm to 4:00pm on Sundays. Tours can be
scheduled at other times by calling 937-392-4188 to make an advance
appointment.
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