Iowa is a state full of history, and those who love to learn will enjoy planning trips to visit our National Historic Landmarks. One that often gets overlooked is tucked away on a breathtaking property in Cass County. It tells the tale of Iowa providing sanctuary for runaway slaves during one of the darkest periods of American history.
One of the most underrated places in the Hawkeye State is the tiny town of Lewis. This Cass County city is home to a historic home and museum that was once a stop along the Underground Railroad.
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The beautiful Hitchcock House is just west of the city of Lewis, overlooking the banks of the East Nishnabotna River. It was built in 1855 by Reverend George B. Hitchcock and soon became a stop on the Underground Railroad.
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Hitchcock was an abolitionist who worked to help emancipate slaves by bringing them into free states. His home was open to these escaped slaves.
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After Hitchcock’s death, the estate was used as a farm, and eventually donated to the State. Today, you can visit the Hitchcock House museum and learn about the Underground Railroad movement and how slaves were freed.
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The home has been restored and shows off a modest mid 19th century lifestyle. Hitchcock’s dining room is set like it would have been in the 1850s, and shows off the famed Midwestern hospitality.
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If you take a tour of the house, you’ll also see the hidden basement, which was used to keep slaves safe from the police that wanted to return them to their old lives.
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The Hitchcock House also sits right along the Mormon Trail, and you can visit a marker that explains how Brigham Young brought thousands with him from Illinois to Salt Lake City.
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The journey was difficult and tiring, and many Mormons decided to settle in cities they discovered along the way.
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The Hitchcock House is one Iowa museum worth visiting to learn about the way abolitionists helped shape Iowa history and the story of our nation.
Google Local / Philip R.
You can learn more about visiting the Hitchcock House on their website, here.
Google Local / Terry Madison
Google Local / Philip R.
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Address: 63788 567th Ln, Lewis, IA 51544, USA
