James Gilliland

ID: 2587 ~ Source: Courtesy of the Ohio History Connection, Wilbur H. Siebert Collection, MSS 116 AV; Box 78, Folder 2 ~ Date: c. 1860s

This file appears in: Red Oak Presbyterian Church and Rev. James Gilliland

Rev. James Gilliland worked closely with John Rankin in Underground Railroad activities in the Ripley, Ohio area. The Red Oak Presbyterian Church was an active institution in Underground Railroad and anti-slavery activities. This image of Gilliland was collected by Ohio State University historian Wilbur H. Siebert (1866-1961), the first to really study and collect stories of the Underground Railroad in the state.

This file appears in: Red Oak Presbyterian Church and Rev. James Gilliland

Red Oak Presbyterian Church and Rev. James Gilliland

By Joanna E. Hahn

John Rankin, whose home Eliza Norris first sheltered in after escaping slavery in Kentucky and entering Ohio, was a Presbyterian minister. Presbyterians were split over the role of slavery in the nation with some supporting slavery and others…