Guardians of Grover Barn

05/29/2026

The audio podcast recently released concerning the Grover Barn and the journey of the 12 freedom-seekers who stayed there in 1859 is available at https://www.perasperapodcast.com through the "Episodes" link. It's number six in the series.

PER ASPERA Welcome to Per Aspera, a Kansas history podcast from the Kansas 250 Commission.This season, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence, we’re telling stories about the people and places of Kansas that connect to themes in the Declaration of Independence. Episodes For ...

04/21/2026

Grover Barn, View from the West--Spring 2023-

This image shows the windows that were added to the barn before it was occupied by Fire Station No. 4 in the 1980's.

04/17/2026

TESTIMONY by JOEL GROVER's FRIEND, GEORGE GOSS, DESCRIBES STRUCTURES on THE GROVER FARM between December 1857 and June 1858.

Joel Grover's friend, George Goss [see bottom image] testified at the Lecompton, K.T. Land office about improvements Grover had made to the property allowing him to purchase a 160-acre-farm in Douglas County, K.T. about 3 miles SW of the City of Lawrence.

Source: U.S. Land Entry Files
[Click on image to enlarge it]

03/22/2026

A consortium including the Guardians of Grover Barn has been awarded a grant by the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom for planning the rehabilitation of the Grover Barn Underground Railroad Site into a location where the history of the site can be taught and celebrated by all.

The the stakeholder organizations will begin meeting in early April 2026 to begin the planning process. The goal is to have a workable plan finished by the end of 2026 that can then be used to apply for grants to fund the work on the site.

Send a message to learn more

03/13/2026

March 12, 1859--167 YEARS AGO

Abolitionist, John Brown watched from the Detroit, Michigan shore as the 12 Freedom Seekers Crossed the Detroit River to Freedom in Windsor, Canada

After an Underground Railroad trip through Kansas--[with an overnight stay at the Grover Barn station in Lawrence], the passengers, led by John Brown and his men, continued their 1,100-mile journey to Nebraska, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan where the eleven Missouri freedom seekers and a Kansas-born baby crossed the Detroit River by ferry to freedom in Windsor, Canada.

John Brown bid them "farewell" from the Michigan shore. They found temporary lodging in Windsor with Mrs. Mary [Miles] Bibb, the widow of Henry Walton Bibb, who was the editor of the first black Canadian newspaper, "Voice of the Fugitive" and a co-founder of the "Refugee Home Society" a colonization project.

That afternoon John Brown met with Frederick Douglas and other black abolitionists in Detroit at the home of William Webb to discuss ways to end slavery in the United States. #

The image on the left is from the DesMoines Times, in Iowa, February 20, 1927 and shows John Brown watching as the 12 freedom seekers cross the Detroit River on March 12, 1859 to Windsor, Canada.

The image on the right was created by AI--ChatGBT

Note: The ferry on which the group traveled in 1859 was probably larger than what is depicted here. Many ferries of the time carried not only passengers, but horses and buggies, boxed goods, etc.

01/31/2026

The Twelve Freedom Seekers Witnessed the "Battle of the Spurs," January 31, 1859

After a stay of several days in Topeka, Kansas where they were sheltered by the Daniel Sheridan family, the John and Mary Ritchie family and at the Owen [Packard] house, the 12 formerly-enslaved Freedom Seekers continued their journey on the Underground Railroad with John Brown and his associates. On January 31st the group reached a location about seven miles north of Holton, Kansas.

Learning of the group's location, the U.S. Marshall and his deputies were sent to capture John Brown who had a bounty on his head. Brown was aware of the danger but was determined to cross Straight Creek while the Marshall's men lay in shallow rifle pits awaiting his arrival.

However, as soon as the men saw John Brown take the reins of his wagon and cross the creek they were overcome with fear and panic. All but four ran to try to get on their horses. They put their spurs to their horses and quickly fled the scene. No shots were fired and no one died in this "Battle."

More than 35 years later, Jane (Barton) Harper, one of the Freedom Seekers, was interviewed in Windsor, Canada and told what she remembered about that "Battle." [See below].

[Click on each image to read more]

-Researched and submitted by Judy Sweets-

01/25/2026

**January 24, 1859--The Twelve Freedom Seekers Leave GROVER BARN HEADED for TOPEKA

On this night 167 years ago, twelve Freedom Seekers, left the Grover Barn near Lawrence, K.T. with John Brown and associates on their way to Topeka.

THE TWELVE "PASSENGERS:"

The Missouri freedom seekers were from four different families:

Hamilton, Barton, Daniels and Harper.

The Daniels had three young children, ages 5, 3 and 3 weeks.

DIARY ENTRIES:

Samuel P. Reed, who lived and worked for the Grover family, wrote in his diary that day:

Jan 24, 1859--"It has been quite warm today, and real pleasant if it had not been for the strong wind in the forenoon.

[Inside the front cover of the diary Sam wrote the following]:
"Captain John Brown on the evening of the 24th of January 1859, I gave him a good shake of the hand just as he left in the direction of the north pole with 12."

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01/24/2026

**January 23, 1859**
THE 12 FREEDOM SEEKERS ARRIVE at the GROVER BARN

After a brief stay at the James B. Abbott home, a half-mile south of "Blanton's Bridge" in Douglas County. The twelve Freedom Seekers were taken to the Joel and Emily Grover Farm. [see the attached 1857 Douglas County Map detail].

Years later, Annie (Soule) Prentiss wrote that her brother, ". . .Silas Soule, took the whole thirteen [sic] from our home eight miles to Mr. Grover's stone barn. . ."

Independent accounts by at least four witnesses confirm the group's stay at the newly completed Grover Barn [probably on the lower level].

There "The colored folks cooked food, a supply of provisions, mostly obtained through the generosity of the Grovers and the Abbotts." [George B. Gill at Grover's barn--from Hinton's "John Brown and His Men."]

A young man, Samuel P. Reed, living at the Grover home and working for them wrote in his diary on Jan. 23, 1859:
"Sunshiny, cold and windy but not as cold as the day before . . ."As the Capt. [Brown] makes no secret of his present undertaking there is no harm in my expressing it here. Enough for me to say now as I have seen the twelve and shall again before they reach their home where liberty is so strongly urging them to come . . ."

During the Freedom Seekers' stay at the Grover Barn, John Brown went into Lawrence, sold the oxen, and bought horses and provisions for the next leg of the trip. It is believed that he may have stayed at the Whitney house or Mrs. Killam's Boarding house while in Lawrence. #

[Note: Click on each image for identifications]

01/23/2026

January 22, 1859-THE TWELVE FREEDOM SEEKERS TAKE SHELTER at the THOMAS CHAPMAN HOME on Their Way to the GROVER FARM

[From an article written for the "Western Home Journal," Lawrence, Kansas, 2 Oct 1873, p 4, by an unnamed "guide" who was enlisted that night to act as a guide from a point below Prairie City to a point some distance south of the Wakarusa River].

". . . [John] Brown was dogged and watched and a price put on his life . . . "Our course was laid across the country avoiding traveled routes as much as possible. It was a terrible night. Abundant rain had gradually turned to snow . . .growing colder and colder every instant. . and the thermometer fell far below zero. . ."

"The wagon containing the negroes was drawn by oxen and driven by one of their number . . . [John] Brown and [John] Kagi, clinging to the rear of the closely covered wagon as a partial cover, wearily plodded along . . . slipping on the resisting ice . . . And in this style . . . the party arrived at the house of Tom Chapman, at about midnight.

A moment sufficed to awaken him and apprise him of the situation. Instantly he and his wife were astir . . . fresh logs were heaped upon the red-raked embers, torches lighted, the wagon cover opened . . . all were hustled into the house and the writer remembers well the care John Brown in person took of "a Kansas ____" [a baby, John Brown Daniels] only three weeks old."

An appetizing and bountiful supper was soon cooked and set out by our warm-hearted hostess. . .and all ate til their hearts content . . . Brown was determined to make his appointed stage before daylight . . . thereafter the party struggled through that tedious night until the next morning . . . when all arrived at the house of James B. Abbott where all were welcomed and cared for until the gathering shades of a pleasant night made further progress prudent and practical. . ."

Sources:

--"Thomas Chapman," Western Home Journal, Lawrence, Kansas, 2 October 1873, p 4.

--AI generated image of the stop at the Thomas Chapman home

--1857 Douglas County map by J. Cooper Stuck, [detail showing location of the T. Chapman property in the NW 1/4 of Sec 23].

--Image of John Henry Kagi, who accompanied John Brown on the 1858-1859 Underground Railroad journey. He later was killed at Harper's Ferry.

[Researched and submitted by Judy Sweets]

Note: The Thomas Chapman farm was just south-east of present-day Vinland, Kansas in the Coal Creek area.

--CLICK on EACH IMAGE for ADDITIONAL INFORMATION--

01/16/2026

DARRYL HOGAN, [a DESCENDANT of TWO FREEDOM SEEKERS Jane (BARTON) and Samuel HARPER] was WELCOMED at the GROVER BARN on September 29, 2025

by Judy Sweets, Historical Researcher and a member of
The Guardians of Grover Barn

THE 1858-1859 UNDERGROUND RAILROAD TRIP

One hundred and sixty-seven years ago this month, two Missouri freedom seekers, Jane Barton and Samuel Harper arrived at the Grover Barn “Underground Railroad station” in Douglas County, Kansas with ten others on a perilous 1,100 mile journey en route to freedom in Canada. The group was led by abolitionist John Brown and accompanied by his men, George Gill and John Kagi.

HARPER's SETTLE in CANADA

Jane and Sam married in Springdale, Iowa in March 1859 just prior to their arrival in Canada. Then, after the freedom seekers reached Canada, Sam and Jane Harper settled in Windsor, Canada. There, several years later they had a daughter whom they named "Sarah."

THE SEARCH for DESCENDANTS of SAM and JANE

After searching in a variety of genealogical and historical records for several months, in January of 2012 I was finally able to locate a descendant of Jane and Sam living in Windsor, Canada–His name is Darryl Hogan.

He and his family knew from Canadian Census records that their ancestors were born in the United States. But, they had no idea they had been on the Underground Railroad trip to Canada with John Brown. And they knew nothing about the slave holders who once enslaved their Harper and Barton ancestors. Nor did they have any pictures of Sam and Jane.

I was able to provide them with lots of information about the well-documented 1858-1859 Underground Railroad trip, the names of other family members on the trip, and a copy of a photo of their ancestors, Sam and Jane Harper, etc. [see photo below]

DESCENDANT, DARRYL HOGAN VISITS GROVER BARN

When the Guardians of Grover barn learned that Darryl would be in Kansas for several days in September 2025, we invited him to view the historic Grover Barn at 2819 Stone Barn Terrace in Lawrence, Kansas. It was exciting to finally meet Darryl and share more information about his ancestors including two 1894 interviews in which Sam and Jane spoke of their experiences during slavery, etc.

OTHER DISTINGUISHED GUESTS

Also, welcomed to the event were Brad Mayhew of Lawrence whose relative, John Kagi was one of John Brown’s associates on the 1858-59 Underground Railroad trip, as well as, Louis DeCaro, of New York, a theologian, professor, and author of several books about abolitionist John Brown. [see photos below]

HISTORICAL KIOSKS and PAMPHLETS at GROVER BARN

Stop by the Grover Barn at 2819 Stone Barn Terrace to read the three outdoor kiosks about the history of the 1858-built Grover Barn, the “Freedom Seekers” and the Underground Railroad trip. #

[Click on each image to enlarge them]