1844

In 1844 a man named Thompson, who lived along the Mackinaw River near Pleasant Hill, apprehended an African American man who had escaped enslavement.

Believing him to be an escaped slave, Thompson immediately transported him to Bloomington where he placed him in the jail and advertised for the owner. But before the owner arrived, the man disappeared without a trace.

Thompson was angry — he would not get the reward for the capture of the enslaved man, and he was out the money he had paid the newspapers for the advertisement.

Jail breaks were not uncommon at the time, but Thompson believed the man escaped with help from Pleasant Hill abolitionists, including William Mahan. All were called to Bloomington to make a sworn statement. Of course neither Mahan nor any of the others who were interrogated admitted to knowing anything.

The Underground Railroad

No specific routes through McLean County used by individuals wishing to escape enslavement to the north have ever been identified. 

But there is solid evidence that abolitionists in Mount Hope and Pleasant Hill assisted such individuals. The Reverend Levi Spencer, an abolitionist based in Bloomington, was well-acquainted with and frequently visited these abolitionists in their homes. 

It is believed that he assisted in arranging travel through and beyond these communities, always avoiding Bloomington as it was the home to many who supported slavery.

Whether there was a route west and north to Metamora, or a route east to Pleasant Hill, and then on to Metamora; or that both routes were used, we will likely never know as those involved were very good at keeping their secrets—if discovered, they risked being jailed.