What was Cleveland like in the 1850s? Bustling with horse-drawn carriages, people crowded outside milliners’ shops, taverns, and photographer studios, Cleveland was a happening city growing steadily amid the industrial revolution. This time of growth was a stark contrast against the horrors of slavery that were happening in the South. Cleveland, a pivotal stop within the Underground Railroad, was a safe haven and a departure point to Canada. Given the code word “Hope,” Cleveland had a host of Underground Railroad stops that assisted and housed people escaping slavery. One of the most well-known stops along the Underground Railroad was the Cozad-Bates House in University Circle. In downtown Cleveland a small barbershop owned by John Brown was also a stop on the railroad. He housed freedom seekers, provided them with food, water, and assistance before they left for the far-off land of Canada.
An advocate and prolific businessman, John Brown, nicknamed “the barber,” was an African American man from Virginia who moved to Cleveland in 1828 with a group of Hicksite Quakers. The Quakers continued westward, but Brown decided to stay and he established roots in Cleveland.
According to an obituary published on March 31, 1869 in the Cleveland Leader, Brown was well-known around Cleveland as a great conversationalist and had a vibrant personality. He had a barbershop in association with the New England Hotel before it burned down in 1854. The New England Hotel, which sat at the intersection and corner of Merwin and Superior, was right off of the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati railroad. According to the Annuals of Cleveland, a fire did occur in October of 1854 at the New England Hotel which was caused by a spark from the railroad. The fire is described as having caused $[2]5,000 in damage with explosions that rocked the city because it housed liquor, turpentine, and powder. At the time it became known as the most damaging fire in Cleveland.
Brown married a woman named Margaret Stanton and became the stepfather of Lucy Stanton, the first African American woman to graduate with a four-year degree from a college or university. In the 1850 Census, Brown is listed as living in Ward 2 with Margaret, Lucy, and his four biological children he had with Margaret.
Cleveland city directories details the movement of the Brown family and Brown’s downtown shop throughout the 1850s and 1860s. In the 1852-53 directory his place of residency is listed as 42 Bolivar Street and he had a shop under the New England Hotel. In the 1856 directory the family lived at 109 Muirson Street (now East 12th Street) and Brown had a shop at 36 Superior Street. In 1857 the family were still living on Muirson Street at the corner of Walnut and Brown’s shop is listed as being located at S Seneca (now West 3rd Street) and N Superior Streets. Between 1859 to 1864, the family lived at 126 Muirson Street. In 1861, Brown’s shop is listed as being located at the corner of Public Square and Superior. The points laid out on the maps below are approximate because of how vague the city directories are. But they show the general area.
Brown’s barbershop was a place where people gathered to discuss politics and local happenings. His open personality drew people in and he had a large circle of friends and acquaintances. But Brown’s involvement with the Underground Railroad was not widely known at the time.
The Underground Railroad was a system of routes, safe houses, and conductors (people who assisted freedom seekers). With the passing of the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, escaping became even more dangerous. The Underground Railroad was most active during the 1820s to the early 1860s…