Places on the Underground Railroad: Ripley, Ohio by John L. Hoh, Jr. Search Amazon for other books by or about John L. Hoh, Jr.. Rating: Reviewed by: Kimberly J. Largent-Christopher

John Hoh opens his book by giving the Underground Railroad a true definition for those of us who still picture in our minds a mythical underground passageway that spanned from the deep South to Canada. Places on the Underground Railroad: Ripley, OH--the first in a series that will look at those individuals who contributed to this operation, as well as the small towns and local residences that became "stops" along the Underground Railroad--focuses specifically on Ripley, Ohio; considered the "center" or "crossroads" of the Underground Railroad due to its location on a line that extended from the Bahamas to Canada.

Hoh visits the history of Ripley, its immigrant settlers and their trades, and why the town's original moniker was later changed to Ripley, before delving into what made it a perfect location to serve the Underground Railroad. He also addresses the Ordinance of 1787 and the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and their impact on the operation.

This book features the Rankin House and the Parker House-two integral stops along the railroad. The Rankin House, which still exists today, sits atop a hill and coaxes visitors to climb the 100 steps (still visible and ascendable) that lead to its front door. According to Hoh, the Rankin family lays claim to having never lost a "passenger" of the nearly 2,000 who passed through the family's doors.

What made the Parker House a unique stop along the Underground Railroad was the fact its owner was a former slave-turned-inventor. The section addressing the Parker House is interesting, enlightening, and another testament to the great lengths abolitionists would go to free the slaves. Parker, himself, coined the Ripley area "Borderland" as it was the area that lay between slavery and freedom.

Hoh brings his book to a close citing a few other stops in the Ripley area, including the Beasley, Campbell, and Collins homes. The author provides the reader with several URLs where more information can be obtained on the homes of Ripley and their contributions to the Underground Railroad.

Through the author's writing and attempt to educate us, we recognize the epic tragedy of slavery, and during a time when the country was at odds with itself, there were still those compassionate individuals who held strong convictions and risked their own prosperity and lives to help runaway slaves find the freedom land.

Places on the Underground Railroad: Ripley, OH is available from i-Proclaim's bookstore.