"Redfield Farm"

A Story of the Underground Railroad

Presented/Authored by Judy Coopey

On Saturday, August 21, the Bedford County Historical Society hosted a presentation by Judy Coopey about the Underground Railroad and some of the associated activity in and around Bedford County. Judy Coopey has written a book entitled "Redfield Farm", which is set on a Quaker farm near Pleasantville in the years preceding the Civil War. Her talk was about the book and the information she learned about the Underground Railroad while doing research for the book. To see a larger copy of the poster announcing the talk, click on the poster on the left or click here. More details about the book are provided below. Or to purchase a copy of the book click here

The following is a description of Redfield Farm as it appears on the back cover of the book:

For Ann and Jesse Redfield, Quaker brother and sister, their hatred of slavery is as hard as Pennsylvania limestone. Ann's devotion to her older brother runs deep, so when he gets involved in the Underground Railroad, Ann asks no questions. She joins him in the struggle. Together they lie, sneak, masquerade and defy their way past would-be enforcers of the hated Fugitive Slave Law. Their dedication to the cause inevitably leads to complicated relationships with their fellow Quakers, pro-slavery neightbors, and with the fugitives themselves. When Jesse returns from a run with a deadly fever, accompanied by a fugitive, Josiah, who is also sick and close to death, Ann nurses both back to health. But precious time is lost, and Josiah, too weak for travel, stays the winter at Redfield Farm. Ann becomes his teacher, friend and confidant. When grave disappointment shakes her to her roots, Ann turns to Josiah for comfort, and comfort leads to intimacy. The result, both poignant and inspiring, is life-long devotion to each other and to their cause. Redfield Farm is a tale of compassion, dedication and love, steeped in the details of another time, but resonant with implications for today's world. The author brings a deep understanding of the details of the Underground Railroad which lend authenticity and truth to this tale of a life well-lived and a love well-founded.

The book is well researched and the wider setting is the whole area between the Maryland line and Altoona, so places like Bedford, Pavia, Osterburg, Claysburg, Newry, Hollidaysburg, Johnstown, Geistown, and other places figure in the story. It is very loosely based on family history. The author's ancestors, the Thomas Blackburn family, were rumored to have been involved with the Underground Railroad. However, the author points out that such a claim is impossible to document, and she doesn't make any claims to the truth of it. However, the claims were the inspiration for the author to dig deeper and find out more about the Underground Railroad itself.