Wilmington’s Harriett Tubman Underground Railroad Byw

On Monday, September 17, 1849 Araminta “Minty” Ross set out from Poplar Neck Plantation, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, to freedom in the North. Prior to her escape she changed her name to Harriet, after her mother, and took her husband’s last name. It is undocumented exactly how long, by which route or who assisted her on her 140-mile journey to Philadelphia but it is believed that she traveled by night, following the North Star, and was aided along the way by supporters of the Underground Railroad (UGRR). She probably followed the Choptank River in Maryland into Delaware and  on to Pennsylvania. nps.gov/history/ugrr.       

Slavery was legal in Wilmington and it became known as “the last stop to freedom” because of its proximity to Philadelphia. An active, multigenerational, interracial and religiously diverse network of abolitionists operated from there providing transport, funding, clothing, shelter and contacts. Wilmington was pivotal to freedom seekers and several of its sites are listed on both the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom and the overlapping Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway that begins at Maryland’s Dorchester County Visitor Center and ends at William Still’s Philadelphia residence. www.visitwilmingtonde.com

The Delaware Historical Society consists of three major units. The museum provides an excellent orientation to the history of the state, the city and the African American presence in the area through permanent and rotating exhibits. The museum is situated inside a former 1940 art-deco Woolworth’s Store in the Historic District. http://dehistory.org

Displays are chronological and begin with the presence of Native Americans 12,000 years ago. At the time of European contact the region was home to the Lenapé Indians, renamed the Delaware by the Europeans. Highlights of the exhibition include a model of the 1638 Kalmar Nyckel bearer of the first permanent European settlers to the Delaware Valley in 1638.  

The Jane and Littleton Mitchell Center for African American Heritage is a series of exhibition spaces within the museum. A thematic gallery tour of “Journey to Freedom” begins with the story of Antoni Swart, Black Anthony, Delaware’s first recorded black inhabitant.He was captured in 1638, landed at Fort Christina in 1639 and was assistant to Governor Printz less than 10 years later. Additional focal points include a Civil War lottery wheel, an original Mason-Dixon boundary stone and a must-see display on the regional abolitionist movement. Reverend Peter Spencer’s contribution as the father of the Independent Black Church Movement and founder of the nation’s first independent Black Christian Church is also interpreted.

Wilmington’s Old Town Hall and Willingtown Square complete the complex. The Federal-style 1798 Old Town Hall has functioned as an important public space and jail. Abolitionists held meetings and hosted speakers in the hall and the basement cells were once used to hold captured fugitive slaves until they could be reclaimed. Frederick Douglass was denied permission to speak there.

Willington Square is located directly across the street and consists of four historic houses, the Cook-Simms House, the Jacobs House and the Jacob and Obidiah Dingee Houses, dating from 1748. The Square, listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), was named after Thomas Willing who planned the city in 1731. Tours are not offered. 

Thomas Garrett, a Philadelphia born Quaker, is renowned as an ardent abolitionist, ally of Harriet Tubman and tireless UGRR stationmaster. Harriet first arrived at Garrett’s in October of 1849. In 1822 he relocated to Wilmington and began operating an UGRR network that would function for 38 years. His sentiments were molded by the kidnapping of a free black servant when he was a boy. His family rescued the woman and he and his brothers became abolitionists. In 1848 he was brought to trial for harboring and transporting slaves, found guilty and fined $5,400. Although financially ruined he continued and even magnified his activities. He is credited with aiding 2,700 freedom seekers and was Stowe’s inspiration for Simeon Halliday in “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”. Garrett’s home was at 227 Shipley Street. He is buried on Quaker Hill in the Friends Meeting House burial ground. The existing meeting house is the third structure and was built in 1816.

 “The Rocks” of Brandywine Creek was a documented fugitive landing site because it offered more privacy than the port. Harry Craige, an African American brickmaker, was a documented operative who met and transported fugitives from the boat.

The 2.4-acre Tubman-Garret Riverfront Park became the home of a commemorative sculpture, “Unwavering Courage in the Pursuit of Freedom,” in 2013. The monument honors Garret and Tubman and is near the site of the Market Street Crossing,  the primary southern entry into the city and. one Tubman was known to use. Interpretive plaques located throughout the park line the walkways. www.visitwilmingtonde.com

Wilmington’s Riverwalk, along the Christiana River, is the ideal place to begin or end this tour. All of the listed sites are within walking distance and the Riverwalk itself is filled with attractions, dining and activity options. 

Bank’s Seafood Kitchen and Raw Bar is a “2018 Best of Delaware”winner. The service, views and cuisine are amazing. www.banksseafoodkitchen.com

Bardea, an innovative Italian and Mediterranean restaurant, is a 2019 semifinalist in the James Beard Foundation’s “Best New Restaurant” category. Meals are crafted from local ingredients and made in-house. bardeawilmington.com

Wilmington is a 30-minute drive from Philadelphia and a slightly longer Septa Regional Rail ride with a station adjacent to Tubman-Garrett Park. Think accessible, affordable and exciting Wilmington for your next adventure!

                  

TRAVEL TIP:

Focus Features movie, Harriet, will be released in November and in anticipation a new orientation film is set to debut in the Dorchester County Visitor Center on September 14^th. On September 17^ththe 170^thcommemoration of Tubman’s escape will take place in Dorchester County, MD. Check out the Focus Film trailer: http://www.focusfeatures.com/harriet 

Henry County, GA from Reel to Real (Part Two)

Hampton, located 26-miles south of Atlanta, has a population of less than 10,000 but receives thousands of visitors annually drawn by the city’s unique sites and attractions. Seven years ago Hampton was deemed a “Playful City”, one of under 220 in the country. The designation is granted to cities that inspire children and families to become active participants in offered events and supports these activities through scheduling, design, performances and planning. Families, couples and individuals can all have an affordable and memorable time in Hampton, Georgia. visithenrycountygeorgia.com

Bear Creek, as the city was known prior to its 1872 incorporation, was named after  Confederate General Wade Hampton. The city’s importance was because it was the sole railroad connection in the county between 1846 and 1882. It became central to the cotton industry and the prosperity that flowed from it. The current brick depot was completed in 1881, has 17-inch thick walls and is a superb example of railroad architecture. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and now houses offices and a museum.

James Weldon Johnson, author of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and NAACP leader, taught school for two summers in Hampton while he attended Atlanta University. Johnson, who was solidly middle class, interacted with rural, and in some cases poverty-stricken, blacks for the first time. He received his Bachelor of Arts in 1894.

Main Street is lined with a wide array of one-of-a-kind shops and restaurants, each worth a visit for browsing and buying. Holy Cow Leather offers handmade items in a variety of colors. Creations range from large totes to delicate earrings. Online orders are accepted. etsy.com/shop/HolyCowLeatherGoods

Speakeasy Bookstore is so named because it once housed a tavern and then a speakeasy in the basement with a tunnel that led across the street. In the 1870s the tavern was moved downstairs possibly so that southerners could meet secretly because by law no more than four southerners could gather together. This booklover’s dream sells rare and 1st editions as well as used books, specialty coffee and pastries. Speakeasy Bookstore is listed on the Georgia Book Trail and visitors can book The Walkin' DEAD Tour here. Take a selfie at Glenn Rhea’s dumpster scene spot from season 2. #GeorgiaFilm. facebook.com/SpeakeasyBookstore

The mission of the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation & Flying Museum (AAHFM) is to acquire, restore and preserve, in flight ready condition, Army aviation dating from Vietnam to 2019. Experienced volunteer military veterans are largely responsible for the vintage aircraft restorations and flights. Georgia’s Legacy Chapter of the AAHFM offers hangar tours with displays of equipment and aircraft in various stages of restoration. The chapter engages in aerial demonstrations and a Bell UH-1H Huey and Bell AH-1 Cobra helicopter ride program available at presentations and at the museum. Sky Soldiers serve as ambassadors sharing a traveling educational program that connects the public to army aviation heritage.

The UH-I aircrafts have logged more than 27-million flight hours since the initial model was delivered in Vietnam in 1963 and together the Huey and Cobra helicopters have logged more combat flight hours than any other aircrafts in history. They were the spine of the US Army and were used for transport, support, assault and MedEvac. Their most dangerous and important mission was evacuation of the wounded. The helicopters’ versatility, it can hover and the sound is unique, made their 60-second evac limit a possibility and saved untold lives. Book a real thrill ride. armyav.org

Prohibition resulted in a market for the clandestine production of moonshine. Making the whiskey was tricky but nighttime deliveries were risky and required a fast car, great motor skills and nerves of steel to outrun the police and federal revenuers on circuitous backroads. The skills honed in the illegal whiskey trade were used for recreational races among bootleggers that developed into the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, modern NASCAR, in 1947. The first cars were stock, standard, but because of track conditions NASCAR rules changed to permit alterations. atlantamotorspeedway.com

Atlanta Motor Speedway is a 1.54-mile track built in Hampton in 1959 for $18-million that attracts more than a quarter of a million people annually. The Speedway offers a huge selection of events and activities designed to engage the entire family including Thursday Thunder. This weekly race has racers as young as 8-years old competing.

The Atlanta Motor Speedway has been used for film locations of numerous movies since 2008. including Flight, Need for Speed, Necessary Roughness, Anchorman 2, Logan Lucky and Black Panther. The Speedway was notably the setting for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire girl on fire scene.

Track Tours transport you to the Petty Garden, suites, garages, Pit Road and Victory Lane with an added three laps around the track. The track is banked from 5 to 24-degrees, Goodyear makes specialized tires for each individual track and cars undergo a complete inspection before and after each race. More immersive activities include a NASCAR Ride Along Richard Petty Driving Experience and The Rookie Experience driving an 8-minute timed race car solo. @ atlmotorspeedway

Finish off your Hampton tour in jail, or at least at the Jailhouse Brewing Company. Housed in a former  2-cell jail this is the 4th production brewery in Georgia. They offer 16 specialty beers on draft, 5 are seasonal and Breakout is their most popular. Guests can choose from an upstairs space or lounge on the patio and have your mugshot taken. Special note should be taken of the packaging. One series of cans, when placed side by side, form a courtroom mural. jailhousebrewing.com
Adventure awaits in Henry County!

Maryland’s National Harbor, America’s Backyard

The first Europeans in the southern region of Maryland, today’s 10-mile long South Potomac Heritage Scenic Corridor portion*, were met by the Piscataway Indians who lived there from 1300. Regional native habitation dates back 13,000 years and was the site of a thriving culture. John Smith mapped the expanse in 1608 and portions of the trail look much as they did and access to the trail and the Potomac River gives visitors an opportunity to experience nature, heritage and historic waterways by hiking, paddling, driving or guided land and water tours. For more personalized encounters you can opt for luxury transportation provided by KD Elite Transportation. kdelitetrans.com

Mount Vernon is one of the district’s anchors and it was George Washington’s visualization of a port area on the shores of the Potomac that would become a governmental, commercial and cultural hub. Today the corridor, from DC to the National Farm serves just a purpose. Just as the National Mall is referred to as America’s Front Yard so too has the National Harbor, a multi-use district, become America’s backyard playground. It is both a destination and a hub for exploration of such nearby attractions as Alexandria, Georgetown and all of Washington, DC. nationalharbor.com

Chef Magino

Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, situated in the heart of the harbor, is a best bet for families, getaways, singles and conventions. A complete list of offerings and options seems endless and guests need never leave the property to be wined, dined and entertained royally. There are 2000 accommodations replete with designer linens and bath amenities as well as turn-down service, complimentary wireless, cable and concierge services. The resort boasts three restaurants and three bars. Old Hickory, the premier fine-dining restaurant helmed by Chef Tracy Magino, uses locally sourced ingredients and features presentations of handcrafted artisanal cheeses.
Extraordinary amenities include a full-service Relache Spa, health club and indoor pool. The 20,000-sq. ft spa’s signature treatments feature honey from the hotel’s private apiary. relachespa.com

A 19-story atrium is renowned for its sunset views and nightly laser light and fountain shows. Additionally there are family Movies Under the Stars, Campfire Tales and S'mores, a Silent Disco Party complete with DJ and headphones. Meandering further afield in the resort there is boutique shopping and even an indoor interactive scavenger hunt. nationalharbor.com/gaylord-national
Special winter holiday attractions include Reindeer Rush, Ice Tubing, an outdoor ice skating rink and Feast with the Grinch Breakfast. ICE!, Gaylord’s signature display features 2-million pounds of hand carved ice sculptures. ChristmasonthePotomac    

Steps from the entrance guests can board the resort guest’s free Harbor Circulator Bus shuttle or you can purchase online tickets for the narrated D.C. Hop-On Hop-Off Trolley for a tour of  Washington’s premiere attractions. The scheduled Water Taxi Service whisks you from the Gaylord to sites in D.C., Maryland and Virginia along the river.

The 300-acre National Harbor was once part of Oxon Hill, Maryland and today boasts more than 150unique stores, a marina, entertainment venues and an art trail. The art trail is filled with photo op worthy opportunities including life-sized sculptures of Washington, Lincoln, Douglass, Ford, Churchill, Armstrong and  Roosevelt Rosie the Riveter. A 4-panel mural, Maryland’s Bounty, highlights the state and the Chesapeake Bay and a 1,600 square-foot terrazzo is installed on the floor of the Belvedere and depicts the history of the entire region. The trail’s showpiece is a 5-section sculpture, The Awakening, portraying a huge man rising from the sand.

The Capital Wheel spins 180-ft. over the Potomac 365 days annually. Cars are climate controlled and the views are spectacular. The VIP gondola has a glass floor. Visitors can get a drink in a commemorative cup in the adjacent Flight Deck. thecapitalwheel.com

Adventure awaits with the Urban Pirates aboard a 54’ pirate ship with pirate crew and water cannons. Enjoy the show and fight off rowdy attacks on the one hour ride. Ships sail from Carousel Pier where you can also ride a 1947 Carousel. urbanpirates.com

Two hundred acres of the 5,000-acre Piscataway Park, created to preserve the Maryland shore view of Mount Vernon across the Potomac, is the home of the National Farm. The farm, 13-miles from the National Harbor, interprets life on a typical family tobacco farm in the 1770s. Tours highlight regional cuisine, heritage animal breeds, architecture, domestic skills and the life of the enslaved. Reconstructions of the farmhouse, tobacco bar, outdoor kitchen and garden are on view. Six nature trails and a Fairy Tale Trail are available to experience the environment. This, the traditional Piscataway homeland, continues to be considered sacred ground. Events, activities and theatrical productions are regularly scheduled. accokeekfoundation.org

Harborside Hotel National Harbor was the first hotel constructed in the harbor area. It underwent a total renovation in 2016 and the 194 room boutique hotel offers an alternative, but no less deluxe, experience. Complimentary WI-Fi,  shuttle, self-parking and fitness center are available. Portum Restaurant’s Chef Mustafa Elakel puts an innovative spin on each delicious dish. I recommend his trio of hummus and pita. The weekly live entertainment is a strong draw for locals and visitors alike so get there early and get comfortable. harborsidehotel.net

A 1666 law made all blacks within the province slaves for life and slavery would remain intact until November of 1864. Much African American history played out here with emphasis on the Potomac River role as a conduit to freedom for self-emancipators. In 1834 Judah, a 14-year old enslaved girl, acknowledged poisoning three of her master’s children and attempted arson. A jury, unusual for a slave in the era, found her guilty and she was executed. She was the first Maryland female, and is believed to be the youngest woman in the country, to be executed. A “Judah and Resistance Marker” is located in the Salubria Memorial Garden at the Tanger Outlets.

Potomac is Algonquin for “great trading place” and after 1000s of years it continues to be a wonderful place to gather.

*The entire corridor is 1,100-miles long.