Living History Open House

September 20, 2003

Visitors to the Oberlin Heritage Center's Living History Open House met and conversed with participants in the 1858 Oberlin-Wellington Slave Rescue, one of the major events in Oberlin's abolitionist history. When John Price, a man who had escaped from slavery and was living in Oberlin, was captured by slave-hunters, hundreds of Oberlin citizens rallied together to save him from being taken back into slavery. Thirty-seven men from Oberlin and Wellington were arrested for breaking the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, and their trials captured the attention of the rest of the country. Historian Nat Brandt even claims that this event made Oberlin "The Town that Started the Civil War." Many thanks to the volunteers and visitors who made the event a success!

Rescuer Simeon Bushnell (played by Marty Buck) tells his story of driving the getaway carriage and Mary Fairchild (played by Sam Lyle Medwid) recounts her family's role in harboring John Price after the rescue.	Mrs. James Fitch (played by Prue Richards) tells visitors about how her husband didn't go to Wellington, but was arrested for being an abolitionist!
Rescuer Matthew Gillet (played by Barney Hartman) is a respected farmer from Wellington who took part in the rescue.	A newspaper reporter from Washington DC (played by Hans Petersen) tells visitors (two of whom later became interns/volunteers of the Oberlin Heritage Center) about the national uproar over the trial of the Rescuers.
The schoolmarm (played by Maria Surovy) teaches visitors about school days in the mid-19th century.	A visitor uses a slate to try out some lessons from a 19th century McGuffey's Reader.
Catherine Fairchild (left, played by Clara Medwid) and Alice Fairchild (right, played by Glenna Medwid) are the daughters of James and Mary Fairchild, who hid John Price at their house after the rescue.
Every story has its villains. Anderson Jennings was the slave-catcher who took John Price to Wellington, and Chauncey Wack was the Democratic Oberlin saloon-keeper who helped him.	Anderson Jennings (left, played by John Hieronymus) and Chauncey Wack (right, played by Scott Medwid) explain their unpopular viewpoints to visitors.
Oberlin Heritage Center staff members Mary Anne Cunningham and Theron Burnett keep visitors informed at the information table.	Anderson Jennings (played by John Hieronymus) considers a question from a visitor.