Two Routes Through Wayne County

Like Oberlin, Wayne County also had an ideal geographical location for escaping slaves. Ohio bordered the slave states of, Virginia and Kentucky, and offered one of the shortest routes to freedom. Wayne County specifically had routes leading up to Cleveland and other cities bordering Lake Erie. Slaves could attain freedom by crossing the lake and moving into Canadian territory. The paths that were used during that time period closely match the roads that go north today. There were two main trails going through Wayne County used for the Underground Railroad, one to the west and the other to the east.