COMING UP. A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE HAVE SPENT THE LAST DECADE COLLECTING ARTIFACTS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS --- TRYING TO PIECE TOGETHER THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD IN NIAGARA FALLS. NOW THEY'RE READY TO BRING IT TO LIFE. NEWS 4'S BRITTNI SMALLWOOD SHOWS US SOME OF THE STORIES THEY UNCOVERED. THE CATARACT HOUSE HOTEL WAS THE CENTER OF UNDERGROUND RAILROAD ACTIVISM IN NIAGARA FALLS. SOUTHERN FAMILIES WHO OWNED SLAVES WOULD OFTEN STAY THERE AND WAITERS WOULD SERVED THE PATRONS. ((19:59 THESE GUYS WERE VERY POLISHED. 20:02 )) THE WAITERS ALSO HELPED SLAVES ESCAPE TO FREEDOM IN CANADA. ((20:11 I LIKE TO THINK THAT BENEATH THEIR STARCHED WHITE SHIRTS, UNDERNEATH THEIR NEATLY PRESSED TUXEDO, PERHAPS PAINTED ON THEIR CHESTS WERE BIG LETTER A'S THAT STOOD FOR ABOLITIONISTS. 20:25)) OVER TIME, THESE MEN PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE AND HELPED SO MANY PEOPLE ESCAPE. IN 1853, ONE OF THE WAITERS, PATRICK SNEED, NEEDED HELP HIMSELF. SLAVE CATCHERS HAD THIS DOCUMENT FALSELY ACCUSING HIM OF MURDER. IT WAS THEIR WAY OF GETTING HIM TO RETURN TO THE SOUTH. ...BUT HIS FELLOW WAITERS WOULDN'T GIVE HIM UP WITHOUT A FIGHT. ((21:16 HERE YOU HAVE AN EXAMPLE OF THE WAITERS ACTUALLY PULLILNG SNEED BACK INTO THE CATARACT HOUSE AS SLAVE CATCHERS WERE GRABBING HIS OTHER ARM AND TRYING TO FORCIBLY BRING HIM INTO ARREST ON A FALSE CHARGE. 21:28)) ABOLITIONISTS ALSO HELPED SLAVES GET TO FREEDOM USING THE FERRY LANDING. PEOPLE WOULD CLIMB DOWN A LADDER TO THE BASE OF THE AMERICAN FALLS, THEN TAKE A FERRY TO CANADA. ((22:06 JOHN MORRISON, THE HEAD WAITER AT THE CATARACT HOUSE PERSONALLY ESCORTED A NUMBER OF PEOPLE, HE RODE THEM ACROSS HIMSELF. 22:16 )) AFTER WORD GOT OUT ABOUT THE PEOPLE HELPING SLAVES, FORMER PRESIDENT MILLARD FILLMORE SIGNED THE FUGTIVE SLAVE ACT IN 1850. IT PROHITIBED ANYONE FROM HELPING SLAVES GET TO FREEDOM. ANYONE WHO DID, WOULD HAVE BEEN FINED OR PUT IN PRISON. ((19:12 AS A RESULT OF SIGNING THE FUGITIVE SLAVE ACT, THE PRESSURE AND THE STRESS HERE IN WNY WAS TREMENDOUSBECAUSE IT BEGAN TO ATTRACT SLAVE CATCHERS WHO KNEW THERE WOULD BE GATHERINGS AT THE BORDER CROSSING.29:24)) BUT THAT DIDN'T STOP PEOPLE LIKE HARRIET TUBMAN. SHE WOULD OFTEN TAKES SLAVES ACROSS THE SUSPENSION BRIGE TO CANADA. THESE ARE THE REMNANTS OF IT TODAY. (( 43:02 IN HER AUTOBIOGRAPHY TO SARA BRADFORD, SHE RECALLED THE STORY OF HER BRINGING JOE BAILEY AND OTHERS UP THROUGH THE SUSPENSION BRIDGE. 43:12)) ((43:37 WHEN THEY GOT TO THE OTHER SIDE, HE WAS SO EXCITED, HE JUMPED OFF OF THE TRAIN 43:41)) ((43:46 BECAUSE HE MADE IT TO FREEDOM. 43:47)) THESE STORIES AND SO MANY MORE WILL BE TOLD AT THE NIAGARA FALLS UNDERGROUND RAILROAD HERITAGE CENTER. THE GOAL IS TO RECONNECT LOCALS WITH THEIR HISTORY AND CONNECT WITH WORLD TRAVELERS WHO VISIT THE SITE. ((35:58 THIS IS A UNIVERSAL MESSAGE ABOUT THE PASSION THAT WE AS HUMAN BEINGS HAVE FOR THE SIMPLE OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE. 36:15)) REPORTING, BRITTNI SMALLWOOD,
