Three stained glass windows
The church has long promoted its activism against racism, including these stained-glass windows from the 1890s, which present Elijah and King David as black men. Credit: Mark Sebastian Jordan

History Knox

Local historian Mark Sebastian Jordan authors a History Knox column each Saturday morning on Knox Pages.

MOUNT VERNON — It was well over a year ago when I spoke with Chuck Salmons, the president of the Ohio Poetry Association.

He wondered if I knew of any sites in the region that had a connection with the Underground Railroad, the secret web of social activists in the pre-Civil War area who helped runaway slaves find their way north to Canada, where slavery was outlawed.

He was asking because OPA was working with Poets Against Racism and Hate USA to create a whistle-stop tour of readings throughout the state to reflect on our past and its ripples into the present day and future.

I immediately knew the perfect place. Mount Vernon’s First Congregational United Church of Christ formed in the early decades of the town when it split from another church that refused to denounce slavery.

The First Congregational United Church of Christ in Mount Vernon will be hosting the Ohio Poetry Association’s Underground Railroad Whistle-Stop Tour on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 1:30 pm. (Photo by Mark Jordan.)

The FCUCC had a rough ride at first, suffering rowdies who would make noise and throw things to disrupt services in its original church building, which was on Mulberry Street where the Public Library of Mount Vernon and Knox County now sits.

Moving to a new location — its current one — a couple of blocks east, the church built a new facility with the sanctuary elevated to the second floor, offering it more protection from protestors.

The members continued their promotion of progressive social ideals, often inviting in speakers that they knew would rile the pro-slavery factions.

They also used that as a ploy to distract the protestors. They scheduled and promoted a particularly inflammatory speaker, which drew lots of slavery supporters to rant and rave outside the church.

The FCUCC sanctuary will hold the poetry reading where congregants once had to endure taunts from pro-slavery protesters outside. (Photo by Mark Jordan.)

With those people occupied protesting, congregational members meanwhile ran a wagon through the area loaded with fugitive slaves.

For the event, I will be reading a new poem which I have written just for the occasion, detailing the history of the church and this undercover operation.

What a fantastic occasion for me to bring Knox County history to life in a poem that combines my love of history, words, and storytelling. I am grateful for the opportunity.

Featured readers will be Chiquita Mullins Lee, Rose Smith, and me. The free event will start at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5, at the First Congregational United Church of Christ, 200 North Main Street, Mount Vernon.

Musical entertainment will be provided by the FCUCC Choir.

The readings will contain a mixture of historical works related to slavery and the Underground Railroad, and modern works on subjects of social issues.

The readings will be followed by an optional writing workshop.