Marker dedicated
BROOKFIELD – An Ohio Historical Society marker noting Brookfield’s connection to the Underground Railroad has been dedicated at the township center green.
The two-sided marker with information about the Underground Railroad notes the township’s part in helping those who traveled through Ohio along the Underground Railroad.
Lois Werner of the Brookfield Historical Society said plans are for the marker to later be placed in front of the local buildings that served as stations for the fugitive slaves as they traveled north to Canada. Those buildings included an apartment building on the center, a store and a boarding house that all had tunnels in the basements.
Werner said Trumbull County had 153 miles of Underground Railroad.
At this past weekend’s Summerfest, a ceremony and dedication were held for the marker hosted by the historical society and township trustees.
Elizabeth Boozer, president of the historical society, said the marker information was researched by local members before submitting an application for the marker.
She said in 2004 a group of Brookfield residents got together with the goal of preserving the center green, which is among just a few still left in Ohio. The center green is an historical district. That group soon became the local historical society.
The marker is the second for the township, with another already located at the south end of the center green.
Trustee Chairman Ron Haun said the Underground Railroad represents a significant part of the township’s history.
Officials from the Ohio Historical Society said the marker is the 27th in Trumbull County and the 1,400th in the state.
Vienna Township’s historical society also has applied for a marker, and the township is expected to receive one later this year.