On Dec. 18, David Crumb, historian for the Village of Hilton and Town of Parma, visited Michael Heise's third grade class at Village Elementary for a presentation on The Underground Railroad and its local ties to Hilton. Mr. Crumb answered general questions about the Underground Railroad, then talked about the some of the "safe houses" found along the 104 corridor and their importance due to the proximity to Canada.
Mr. Crumb was accompanied by his grandson, Joe Walsh, a fourth grader in Brighton, who read the class information about William Still, an African-American abolitionist based in Pennsylvania, and a conductor of the Underground Railroad responsible for aiding and assisting at least 649 slaves to freedom towards the North.
Mr. Crumb also gave students each a laminated article about the historical marker recently placed at the north end of Route 259 in Parma. The marker recognizes the spot where Walter Vond, the son of Hilton's first African American family, helped slaves escape to Canada during the 1850s. Mr. Crumb encouraged the students to visit the marker with their families.
