Network to Freedom Application, Table Rock Cemetery

the underground railroad
​in table rock


GAYLORD WILSON, A SHORT BIOGRAPHY OF THE LIFE OF FANNIE CLARISSA GIDDINGS, 1932 (UNPUBLISHED)

The grandchildren of Fannie Giddings Norris asked about her memories, which Gaylord Wilson, married to one of the granddaughters, wrote down.  Copies of the book have been handed down to various descendants. Elizabeth Siemsen Wilkins of Maryland scanned her copy of this unpublished book for the Table Rock Historical Society. It can be downloaded at right.
a_short_biography_of_the_life_of_fannie_clarissa_giddings_1932.pdf
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​​Included in this book were Fannie's emories of the Underground Railroad, including a description of a particular incident when four Negro men stopped and remained with them for four days.
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asa heywood's obituary

Asa Heywood (1838-1912) came to  Table Rock in 1856 or 1857. 

According to obituary he came to Table Rock in 1856.  The obituary of his sister Mary Louise Heywood Wood, Findagrave Memorial #152443136, says she came to Table Rock "with her brother A.E. Heywood" (Asa) in the Spring of 1856, making them among the VERY first settlers here." Asa was then 18.  (The Andreas book lists Heywood's arrival date as 1857.)

A search of county land records finds this as to his land:
Asa Elliott Heywood
Range 12, Township 2, Section 3
Section 3, Township 2, Range 12
United States conveys to  Asa E. Heywood
Patent dated 9/16/1860 filed 4/6/1866, in Book 3-OS-205, northwest quarter

Heywood's 1912 obituary described him as the last survivor of the local underground railway.  The network was active until about 1859, at which time Asa would have been a single man of about 20.  He married in 1860. 

From the November 14, 1912 Table Rock Argus: 
ASA E. HEYWOOD

Mr. Heywood, the last survivor of the famous underground railway in Nebraska, who was injured in the railroad yards at Julesburg, Colorado, Monday, died yesterday morning. His son, Richard Heywood of Lincoln left at once for Julesburg.

Mr. Heywood is well known in Nebraska particularly in Table Rock, where he resided for many years, settling there before the war. He was a member of the famous band of early settlers in southeastern Nebraska and Kansas who formed the chain of friendly homes along which slaves were transported from the southern states to freedom in the north.

The common route was for the slaves to be brought in small parties through Kansas, into Richardson county from Brown county, then up into Nemaha county, and across the Missouri river at Nemaha City, across the extreme northwestern corner of Missouri into Iowa.

The object of the route through Kansas and Nebraska was to avoid the state of Missouri, however, opposite Nemaha City, there was a chain of Abolitionists leading into Iowa and furnishing a convenient route into the latter state.

Often the Negroes were transported through Pawnee county further west, the choice between Pawnee and Richardson depending largely on the security of the one or other at the time the slaves were being sent through.

These were stirring times in this part of Nebraska and Mr. Heywood took an active part. Jayhawkers from Kansas were terrorizing the territory and adding to the difficulty in transporting the blacks to freedom. Parties of so-called S. C. rangers scoured the county on the look out for the escaping slaves, and big rewards offered by slave owners made the occupation of transporting the Negroes hazardous for John Brown and his conductors, of whom Mr. Heywood was one.

Asa Heywood was born July 11, 1838 in Troy County, Ohio and died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. T. J. Harrison, in Julesburg, Colorado November 11, 1912, at the age of 74 years and 4 months.

He came to Pawnee County, Nebraska, in 1856 and was a resident of this county until three years ago when he went to make his home with his daughter in Julesburg.

He was married April 17, 1860 to Miss Frances Josephine Mumford. To this union were born nine children, five of which died in infancy. The other four, Albert L. of Cairo, Nebraska, Elliot M. of Lincoln, Mrs. T. J. Harrison of Julesburg, Colo., and Mrs. C. W. Aylor of Naples, Mo., also a sister, Mrs. J. C. Wood of Corpus Christi, Texas remain to mourn his loss. His wife, his companion of over half century having departed from this life January 5, 1911.

​Early in life he united with the M. E. church and has ever lived a consistent earnest Christian life doing what he could, in his quiet way- for the good of mankind and the advancement of Christ's Kingdom. The cause of his death was accidental, he being struck by a Union Pacific passenger train, from which shock he never recovered. He had just returned to Julesburg from Table Rock, where he had attended the funeral of his brother-in-law Mr. J. C. Wood. He had had a good visit with his children and his only remaining sister, returning to Julesburg on November 6. Funeral services were held at the M. E. church, services conducted by Rev. P. C. Johnson.
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Here is Asa Heywood in 1909. As a young homesteader he was said to be a conductor on the Underground Railroad.
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Photo 3205, the Harrison & Heywood families on July 4, 1909, shared by Linda Secrist, who points out that Asa is the man with the beard and wearing a vest on the far right of the photo.

an account of a trip by louis bodwell that took travelers "through" pawnee and table rock on july 24, 1858 
Bill Hays, Volunteer Director at the Mayhew Cabin in Nebraska City found this reference to Pawnee County.  It is an account that follows a family's travel from place to place.  They made it almost to "Pawnee" one night and the next day went "through" Pawnee and Table Rock and camped 12 miles east. 

This account is available at ​https://washburn.edu/cas/art/cyoho/archive/Events/pathtofreedom/bodwellaccount.pdf
bodwell_account_1858.pdf
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