Swamps and secret codes: Old 1800's shipyard holds stories from the Underground Railroad
There was a time when North Carolina’s rivers were known as ‘Freedom Roads’ – because, like an intricate, flowing map, they guided Freedom Seekers on the Underground Railroad towards freedom.
Even today, if you follow the Pamlico River, you'll find a remaining piece of the Underground Railroad waiting at the end.
At the end of the Pamlico River, one of the most-traveled pathways to freedom in the state, was the busy waterfront of Washington, NC. Built and managed using enslaved labor, the shipyard ironically became a foothold for helping enslaved men and women seeking freedom.
Havens Wharf: Hiding in the swamp, waiting for a secret code
The historic Havens Wharf, still standing today, was at the center of many abolitionist activities. Enslaved men were working all over the bustling shipyard – and many were happy to help a Freedom Seeker.
Using secret codes, abolitionists and other helpers would communicate with Freedom Seekers hiding in the nearby swamps to let them know it was safe to come out.
"A code could be something as benign as a woman standing on the dock holding sunflowers," says Leesa Jones, Director of the Washington Waterfront Underground Railroad Museum. She has spent her life listening to stories and oral history from the community -- including the Underground Railroad. "If she aimed the big brown 'eye' in the center of the flower towards the swamp, it might mean, 'There are too many 'eyes' watching today. Stay in hiding.'"
"Secret codes could be found in nearly anything – clothing, crops, songs and rhymes – and conveyed messages about which routes to take, when it was safe to run, how to stay safe and other important information," says Jones. "The codes changed every few days to help prevent people from catching on."
One code in particular was very important: It was a secret message that let a Freedom Seeker's family members know they had escaped safely.
"When they got on the ship, they'd have the abolitionist bring a piece of dried Okra back to a loved one," says Jones. "In the African language it was called Okuru, and it translated to 'sticky plant.' It was a symbol meaning once they reached their freedom, they would send for their loved one, and they'd be 'stuck together' again soon."
Black Jacks: Secret sailors who navigated Freedom Seekers to safety
The Underground Railroad likely could not have had as much success in the ports of Washington if not for the Black Jacks.
“Black Jacks were Black river pilots, who navigated those ships. Many of them were enslaved people, but many of them were freed Black Men," says Jones.
According to Jones, Black Jacks were like the 'Google' of the 1800s. They traveled port-to-port, all up and down the coast and even across the ocean. They could gather messages, codes and information from abolitionists in far-off cities and communicate important information through the Underground Railroad network.
"They also knew many places on a ship, where they could kind of secret a Freedom Seeker away," says Jones.
Black Jacks could provide important information and materials to a hidden Freedom Seeker -- anything from food and clothes, to a wet cloth to cover their faces if law enforcement attempted to 'smoke out' any potentially hidden escapees.
Crouching in a small, dark space to hide, a frightened Freedom Seeker may not even know when it was safe to get off the ship. Black Jacks could provide important details and codes to help keep them informed.
For example, when passing Baltimore, a city known for its spice factories, a Black Jack might say, "When you smell strong spices fill the air, then you will get off the ship after two sunsets."
Without being able to speak openly, and without modern-day communication devices, Black Jacks provided invaluable information and communication services to abolitionists up and down the coast.
Hiding in the swamp or nearby Freedman's communities
Records tell of Freedom Seekers hiding in the nearby ‘Big Swamp,’ woods and even nearby tunnels – waiting for a secret code from an abolitionist to tell them it’s safe to board a ship to freedom.
The Great Dismal Swamp in northern North Carolina played a major role in the Underground Railroad. Not only did Freedom Seekers run there to hide, but entire communities of free Black families settled in the large swamp.
Washington did not have the Great Dismal Swamp; however, Freedom Seekers were known to hide in a swampy area known as 'Big Swamp,' which wasn't far from the waterfront.
A large portion of Big Swamp has been developed -- leaving no trace of its roots in the Underground Railroad. However, the remaining area of swamp and grass is full of trees and foliage, providing a glimpse of where Freedom Seekers may have hidden.
Jones, who has walked through the swamp since her childhood, says, "When I stand here, I can almost hear the rustle of leaves and see faces of Freedom Seekers peeking through the leaves."
Modern remnants of the Underground Railroad
Today, the Washington Waterfront is one of only 13 sites in North Carolina designated as part of the Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.
Historic homes dot the streets of Washington -- many, Jones says, built using enslaved labor. Some older homes date back to the 1700s, and Jones believes she's found 'tunnels' described in some Freedom Seeker accounts.
Havens Wharf, where enslaved men and woman once worked, now stands just across from the Washington Waterfront Underground Railroad Museum – where people can learn the history of what happened there. You can visit the waterfront, Havens Wharf, the museum, Elmwood Plantation and more sites connected with the deep history.
Jones says sharing the stories of the Underground Railroad is vitally important, because it shows what happens when a diverse group of people work together.
“The Underground Railroad is in all of us,” said Jones. “A network of people working together to help people – that’s all the Underground Railroad was.”
More hidden history of the Underground Railroad
Did you know there's a 200-year-old aqueduct tunnel and canal in Halifax County, built using enslaved labor, that played a major role in helping Freedom Seekers escape?
There's also a patch of untouched old-growth forest in Guilford County where the 250+ year old Underground Railroad TreeUntouched old-growth forest holds 'Underground Railroad Tree' from the 1700s grows, its roots in the soil of woods where Freedom Seekers once hid.
You can see inside an authentic false-bottom wagonFalse-bottom wagon: Look inside this 200-year-old hiding space for escaping slavery used by a Quaker family to help smuggle Freedom Seekers to safety in the 1800s. It's at Mendenhall Homestead in Jamestown. Take a look inside!
