1. Light to Signal Slaves.quot;
This image shows how John Rankin's lantern would be raised up his flagpole to signal fugitive slaves across the river in Kentucky when it was safe to cross over into Ohio and come through the woods to his home, which was a station on the Underground Railroad. More than two thousands slaves came to safety staying at Rankin's home in Ripley, Ohio. Imagine how it must have felt to runaway slaves as they watched for hours, or maybe days, for Rankin's lantern to be raised. How difficult do you think it was to cross the Ohio River, which measures at 200 yards (600 feet) across? Do you think many slaves knew how to swim? How would a slave acquire that skill? Ohio Historical Society. <br />