Birmingham Cemetery Finds Connection To Abolitionism, Receives Honor

BIRMINGHAM, MI — Birmingham’s historic Greenwood Cemetery was added to the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, after historians learned the stories of two anti-slavery men who were buried in the cemetery, according to a press release.

The cemetery was recognized for the burial sites of freedom seeker George B. Taylor and abolitionist Elijah S. Fish. The cemetery was one of 16 additions to the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.

"It was a team approach. Museum staff members and local historians worked hard to uncover the incredible stories of Fish and Taylor," Birmingham Museum Director Leslie Pielack said. "We are excited to see them recognized nationally, and to shed light on their truly remarkable lives."

Taylor decided to risk his life and run away from slavery after he was publicly whipped by an overseer in Kentucky. He began his journey traveling at night, following the North Star. But when he realized he was progressing slowly, he decided to travel during the day.

Taylor was shot at and twice outran bloodhounds before he was captured and sent before a judge. The judge, however, ordered his release, and Taylor was eventually found by an abolitionist, who helped guide him toward safety.

Although Taylor nearly died from starvation during his journey, he eventually made his way through Michigan and gained freedom in Canada. After receiving his freedom, Taylor married his wife Eliza after the American Civil War, and soon became the first African Americans to own property in Birmingham in the late 19th century.

Fish was born in Athol, Massachusetts in 1791, before he and his wife moved to the new territory of Michigan, where slavery was banned under the Northwest Ordinance of 1785. They bought property on the Saginaw Trail, just north of modern Birmingham, where he soon established the first Presbyterian Church in Birmingham in his barn.

During the abolitionism in the 1830s, Fish assisted in the creation of the Oakland County Anti-Slavery Society, which he used to guide several Michigan Anti-Slavery meetings. As an abolitionist, he worked his whole life providing vital resources, such as money and supplies to freedom seekers trying to escape enslavement.

"The freedom seekers and allies highlighted in each Network to Freedom listing remind us of what can be accomplished when people take action against injustice," National Program Manager of the Network to Freedom Diane Miller. "Each listing holds a unique part of the Underground Railroad story."

The Birmingham Museum Board is planning a public celebration of Greenwood Cemetery’s national recognition later this year. Residents interested in participating in the event were encouraged to watch the museum’s webpage and social media channels for event details coming soon.