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| William A. Foster, UGRR Conductor & Founder of Goodland, Indiana |
William
A. Foster was a quiet hero when it came to assisting freedom seekers via the
Underground Railroad from Crawfordsville to Lafayette, Indiana. An agent for the New Albany and Salem
Railroad, Foster reportedly instructed his train conductors not to inquire
about the comings and goings of African American passengers who were given
access to ride the trains. He instructed
the employees that taking their tickets was to be their only business with the
clandestine travelers.
Lewis
Falley, Jr. was a boy when his father assisted freedom seekers in Lafayette,
Indiana, and later in his life, he shared memories of Foster’s involvement in
the Underground Railroad network.
“The
general superintendent of the steam railroad, William Foster, lived here at that
time,” said Falley, “and I believe he did what he could to pass fugitives from
here to Michigan City; from that point to Canada, it was easy traveling.” Prior to the railroad’s existence, Falley
said runaway fugitives came via the Wabash River.
Putting the pieces of history together during Foster’s stay in Lafayette from 1852 to 1860, prior to his move 40 miles northwest to form the Town of Goodland, is challenging since the Underground Railroad was a covert network. Foster was one of many prominent citizens who risked their lives and livelihoods to help runaway enslaved people gain their freedom.
The
Tootle Family’s Treacherous Journey to Indiana
One
of Lafayette’s most intriguing characters was a prominent Black citizen named
General Tootle. Tootle was a close friend
to William Foster and co-conductor for the local Underground Railroad. Since early records for African Americans was
more limited than their white counterparts, some of the history is subject to
speculation based on sporadic news accounts and scant records. The Tootles were from Hailifax County, North Carolina. The younger General Tootle was born around 1826 to General Tootle, Sr. and Dicey
Tootle.
The
Tootle family was part of a migration of former slaves and free black men and women who traveled from North
Carolina with their Quaker friends to Carthage, Indiana, to escape the evils of
slavery. General Tootle’s brother,
Aaron, had reportedly once witnessed their father as he was sold on a slavery
auction block. Quakers had purchased the
freedom of many former slaves, which included members of the Tootle family.
They chose to leave the area after state laws were enacted making it illegal for
Black citizens to obtain an education.
It was recorded that “a caravan of 15 wagons and carts filled with the
families and goods comprised the first train of immigrants who traveled hundreds
of miles to Indiana and settled in the ‘Beech.’”
The
beleaguered group traveled through the mountains of what is now West Virginia,
and then crossed the Ohio River at Cincinnati; then, up by Brookville and
Connersville. According to historical
accounts, “General” Tootles came with his five boys and a brother, Benjamin
Tootle, in a two-wheeled cart. Most of
the other travelers had wagons with “Carolina” beds. These beds were made so
that they were much higher in front and rear than in the middle. This style was
used to keep the loads from spilling out while traveling over the steep grades
of the hilly country.
The
immigrant pioneers of the Beech Settlement purchased land from the federal
government around 1828 and shortly thereafter organized a school as they placed
a heavy emphasis on education. The
Tootle children received a good education at the school, which served them well
throughout their productive lives. In
1832, the community founded what is believed to be the first African Methodist
Episcopal Church in Indiana, which was preserved and is presently listed on the
National Historic Registry. The Mount
Pleasant Beech Church is the only remaining building from the Beech Settlement.
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| Mt. Pleasant A.M.E. Church |
General Tootle and his brother Aaron came to Lafayette in 1844 and opened a barber shop business. General married Elizabeth Cook in 1849, and a few years later Aaron moved to Vincennes where he continued in his profession and became involved in local and state politics. Aaron ran for county sheriff and lost by just a few votes.
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| General Tootle owned and operated a barber shop in downtown Lafayette |
General Tootle set up shop in a few downtown Lafayette locations throughout the years. In 1858, he worked from the basement of the Bramble House, and in 1866, he and John May purchased the John Mauch barber shop in the basement of the Reynolds Union Bank. In 1869 he pleaded guilty to “indulging in the pleasures of the tonsorial art [barber] on the Sabbath and was fined one dollar and costs.”
General Tootle’s Underground Railroad Activities
General Tootle was an active citizen in Lafayette and quickly became one of Lafayette’s finest and most-loved citizens. His past had caused him to despise slavery, so it was no surprise that he found himself as one of the ring leaders of the local abolitionist movement, working alongside friends and associates, William Foster, Sheriff Martin Peirce, Judge Cyrus and Rebecca Ball, Dr. Elizur Deming, Rev. Samuel Johnson, Lewis Falley, Sr., and others. Tootle’s involvement put him in grave danger.
Next Up: General Tootle once found himself at the receiving end of a slave catcher’s pistol in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Check back soon to read about the harrowing ordeal that threatened his life and freedom
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