September is International Underground Railroad Month, and Oswego County invites you to honor the history of freedom seekers. Home to the most Underground Railroad sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places in New York State, Oswego County and its people have long stood for freedom and equality for all.
One Underground Railroad site worth visiting is the Starr Clark Tin Shop and Underground Railroad Museum, which commemorates our local connection to this significant chapter in our nation’s history.
Starr Clark Tin Shop and Underground Railroad Museum
In 1827, Colonel William Fitch erected this mercantile shop in the village of Mexico, N.Y. Later, it would become an important part of the story due to the actions of one of the many abolitionists in the area, Starr Clark.
Clark was born on August 2, 1793, in Lee, Massachusetts and later spent time as a youth in Utica, New York. He married Harriet Loomis from Verona when he was 22 years old and, a year later, the couple moved to Danby, just south of Ithaca. During this time, they experienced a religious conversion that had a profound effect on the rest of their lives. Of their eight children, a son born in 1831 was named after Theodore Weld, who was at that time one of the best-known abolitionist orators in the country.
In 1832, Clark was hired to run Colonel Fitch’s store in Mexico. He was paid $350 per annum, which included use of the neighboring house and garden. In the store, he sold dry goods and groceries and later added a tin and stove shop, which became a community gathering place. People collected their mail, read the daily paper and discussed politics and social issues of the day, including the abolitionist movement.
Oswego County was a hotbed of abolitionist activity and the tin shop and many houses in the surrounding area were “stations” on the Underground Railroad. This was not an actual “railroad,” but rather, a network of people and places that provided aid to slaves who had escaped their masters and sought a life of freedom.
Clark himself was an organizer of the Oswego County Anti-Slavery Society and wrote the first anti-slavery petition sent to the U.S. Congress from Oswego County. Like many of his neighbors, Clark opened his home to these “freedom seekers” and they were welcomed, hidden from authorities, and provided with fresh clothing and hot meals while arrangements were made to transport them to Canada.
One famous case in our history was “The Jerry Rescue.” A group of abolitionists, including Clark, planned to rescue William “Jerry” Henry (McHenry), an escaped slave charged under the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850. After his rescue, “Jerry” was secretly transported and hidden along the Underground Railroad in Oswego County before finally making safe passage to Kingston, Ontario, Canada where he remained the rest of his days.
After Starr Clark’s death in 1866, the building was turned into a tavern and boarding house. The Mexico Historical Society later purchased the building and restored it to the museum that it is today. Visitors can learn more about Oswego County’s underground railroad history, admire the original plank walls, wooden floors and ceiling beams and view a wide variety of historical artifacts at the museum.
The Starr Clark Tin Shop and Underground Railroad Museum is just one of many well-documented and recognized Underground Railroad locations in Oswego County, and one of only a few sites open to the public. Stop in to learn more about this brave heritage and the restoration of the original tin shop.
While visiting the former tin shop, be sure to head next door to check out the recently opened Chandler-Ames 1855 Bank Museum. The Chandler-Ames Bank was built in 1855 by James S. Chandler and Leonard Ames Jr. and was used as a private banking practice until 1867. The building continued to be used as a bank by other bankers until 1900, and later housed an assortment of businesses including a pedigree office, a law practice, the Mexico Lunch restaurant and the Farm Production Credit office. The building was last used as the Mexico Village Hall from 1986 to 1996. Visitors can see informative displays and the original bank vault at the renovated bank museum.
Both museums are open for tours by appointment. To schedule a tour, contact Jim Hotchkiss at 315-963-7853. The Starr Clark Tin Shop and Underground Railroad Museum is located at 3250 Main St., Mexico, N.Y.
For more information about the Starr Clark Tin Shop and Underground Railroad Museum, visit https://www.mexiconyhistoricalsociety.com/tin-shop.html or visit the museum’s Facebook page.
Oswego County has 11 underground railroad sites. Although some of them are now private residences, there are multiple that can still be visited. For more information, view the Underground Railroad Sites webpage at https://visitoswegocounty.com/attractions/underground-railroad-sites/.