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.”...

  The last words of Jennie L. Dugan were poignantly expressed in recently discovered poetry written by  Rebecca Gordon Ball in the form of historic sheet music.   The poetry was put to music by Composer Chandler Robbins and published by Oliver Ditson & Company after the death of Jennie Dugan in 1860.   A copy of the sheet music was found among the Ball artifacts in the historic Lafayette home that was built in 1869 for Cyrus and Rebecca Ball.   The iconic house has remained in the family since that time and is currently occupied by a direct descendant and member of the General de Lafayette Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution.   Jennie Dugan, a 22-year-old woman from Delphi, Indiana, was tragically killed in 1860 when her dress caught fire as she was carrying a lampstand while bidding her parents good night.   Her father was severely burned in attempting to rescue his only child.   It was a devastating blow to Joseph and Miranda ...