Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1515188
SISTER MOUTIQUE AYODELE -EL H I S TO R Y ' S H O M E TO W N : A G L A N C E AT A U B U R N , B M & T ••• January/February 2024 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 13 T here's something magical, almost majestic about New York State in the fall and nothing compares to visiting at the start of the golden autumn season, in the month commemorating the deeply rooted history of the Underground Railroad in Auburn NY, chosen home of 50 years for Civil War hero, philanthropist, political activist, entrepreneur, humanitarian and our very own Auntie, Harriet Tubman Davis. Just under an hour outside of Syracuse, New York's vibrant college town, Auburn sits tucked away in Cayuga County at the heart of the Finger Lake Region, which boasts award winning boutique wineries and breweries, family owned farm to table restau- rants, acres of fertile agriculture and farm- lands, accessible year round outdoor adven- tures, a lively art scene, the #1 resort in New York State, rich history, and numerous his- torical sites of America; surely the most important among them, the "trails" of the Underground Railroad. Primed for meeting planners, Auburn, NY is an absolute must stop. This quaint city with a small town feel is home to a variety of accommodations from full service hotels, charming luxurious B&Bs and historical inns to outdoor campgrounds just right for sleeping under the stars if adventure is your theme. Local conference facilities host up to 600 persons for meetings, banquets and events, while an additional 35,000 square foot event mall space just six minutes outside of the city, can accommo- date 2,000 persons for trade shows, confer- ences or expos, with easy access from Syracuse Hancock International Airport by taxi or Uber, for a delightful scenic ride along the countryside by day and gorgeous night lit sky by evening. If there ever was a question about the impact cultural tourism can have on an indi- vidual's own personal life's journey, a visit to Auburn, NY would be just the spark to inspire you and your group. Recognized now as perhaps the birthplace of the Underground Railroad, its geographical location, at the crossroads for folks coming north from Philadelphia to Lake Ontario and from eastern NY headed for Niagara Falls and Canada, made it the perfect hide- away respite for the weary traveler and anonymous conductors. But that's just scratching the surface. Long thought to have been founded by John Hardenbergh, Hardenbergh's Corner, the first settlement created there in 1793, was built by Harry and Kate Freeman, and as commanded by their name, they'd be free peo- ple, told by the great, great, great grandson of Harry and Kate, Ted Freeman. Born and raised in Auburn, NY, he is a 1972 decorated student athlete graduate of Villanova, former President of the Urban League of Hudson County and current CEO & Chief Steward / Storyteller of GLOW Tours. The "Free- mans," he informs, traveled the great dis- tance from Europe with Hadenbergh to that territory and presumed a pretense as his slaves so as not to be troubled. Hadenbergh himself was still residing in Ulster County when the pair erected the settlement, includ- ing three structures (most likely a house or two), a general store and possibly the begin- nings of a post office. Not long after, the Underground Railroad was locally in opera- tion by the early 1830s after slavery was abol- ished in New York State in 1827, and along the Upper Owasco River, nearly central to town, The New Guinea Settlement for free Blacks and runaways was started. Led by a harmonious inter-racial community of men and women, Black and White, old and young, rich and poor, Auburn welcomed settlers as far away as the south to come find jobs, buy land, and reunite their families. By the 1850s Cayuga County's Black popula- tion was about 400 with 200 of them resid- ing in Auburn. Today Cayuga County Tourism ardent- ly continues to celebrate and honor the spirit of Harriet Tubman Davis (a surname she was incredibly proud to bare as it honored a deep abiding love she shared with her sec- ond husband Nelson Davis), It was in Auburn that she married and lived as a free woman for over 50 years, brought her family, owned land, fulfilled her philanthropic work, is laid to rest, and where her legacy lives on." Central to progressive thought at the time, this is where she continued to fight for human rights alongside abolitionists, con- tributed to the Women's Suffrage Movement as one of the co-founders of National Association of Colored Women, and thrived as an entrepreneur. And what is not known about our Moses, can certainly be filled-in with great loving, painstaking attention by booking your group excursion N Y ' S R I C H A F R I C A N A M E R I C A N L E G A C Y Harriet Tubman Mosaic