Underground Railroad in Worthington

Written by Stephan Cooke, Boundless Outreach Manager, DEI Committee Member 

The Underground Railroad was a system that allowed escaped slaves to travel north through a network of safe “stations”, where abolitionists and humanitarians gave aid and shelter to formerly enslaved people. Prior to the Civil War, thousands of slaves escaped through this network hence the name the “Underground Railroad”.  Throughout the state of Ohio there were many safe stations and homes and though there were many sites across Columbus, there is no public register that lists them all. According to the Friends of Freedom Society, there were over 20 documented sites in Columbus. 

One such station that still stands today is the Ozem Gardner home located at 8221 Flint Road in Worthington. Ozem Gardner came to central Ohio from Otsego County, New York, in 1817. He worked as brickmaker until he could save enough money to purchase 65 acres of farmland on Flint Road in 1821. He lived in a log cabin until the late 1830's, then built a brick farmhouse in 1850 that still stands. An active member of the Anti-Slavery Society of Worthington, Gardner operated an Underground Railroad station on his property. It’s been reported that he assisted more than 200 enslaved people on their journey to seek freedom in Canada. 

According to oral tradition, those seeking freedom found lodging on the Ozem Gardner land in a structure that looked like a dugout. A small one-room structure, it was built into the bank of the creek that flowed through the Gardner farmlands.  It’s been said that on cold nights, Gardner brought the travelers into his brick home for warmth. People fleeing slavery found shelter there until Gardner could assist them on their trip to the next station. He traveled the area selling fresh vegetables with runaways hidden beneath them. Ozem Gardner lived in this home until his death in 1880.