Philly ‘Walking Artist’ visits the gravesites of Tubman and Douglass — and finds allies along the way

Since we last caught up with Ken Johnston, the Philadelphia “walking artist” currently on a 450-mile trek from New York to Canada to honor Harriet Tubman’s 200th birthday, he has visited Auburn, N.Y., where Tubman is buried.

He also made it to Rochester, on Aug. 29, where Frederick Douglass, the abolitionist, author and speaker, once lived and is buried.

Johnston, 61, who lives in the Cobbs Creek area in Philadelphia, began this trip in Harlem, N.Y., on July 14, with a goal of walking to St. Catharines, Ontario, in Canada, where Tubman lived before the start of the Civil War.

Johnston has recorded his trips through blog posts, videos and photos on his “Our Walk to Freedom” blog here. He also has a Facebook page here.

He made it to Auburn on Aug. 9. Tubman lived the last 54 years of her life in Auburn, where her home is now a National Historic Park.

After pausing his trip on Aug. 10, earlier than he had expected, Johnston returned home to Philadelphia for about a week before he left on Aug. 17 to made a previously planned trip to California. He returned to Philadelphia on Aug. 22 and took a train to Syracuse, N.Y. , on Aug. 23. He resumed his walk in Auburn on Wednesday, Aug. 24.

From Auburn, he walked to Seneca Falls, N.Y., the site of the first women’s rights convention in 1848. As he approached Seneca Falls, he posted a photo of a huge billboard that had a photo of Tubman, which also honored the 200th anniversary of her birth.

“This was a corridor of freedom,” Johnston said as he walked the Erie Canal Trail on Thursday. “This whole region from Albany, to Rochester, to Buffalo and Niagara Falls was a hotbed of abolitionist activity.”

“This was the way people made their way to Canada [to escape slavery] by foot, by rail or by the canal.”

And yes, he said, actual train travel was part of the clandestine Underground Railroad movement. The Underground Railroad was a secretive network of trails, houses, waterways, and actual train travel, that helped people fleeing slavery.

» READ MORE: On Underground Railroad trail to Canada, Philly’s ‘Walking Artist’ pauses in Albany

He noted that Philadelphia abolitionists William Still and Lucretia Mott had strong ties to Auburn.

William Still wrote that the Philadelphia to Auburn Underground Railroad line was one of his most trusted routes. He said Still said none of the freedom seekers who went to Auburn were recaptured and returned to enslavement. Whereas, he had known that some of the people he had helped reach the north using other routes had been captured.

The Philadelphia Quaker and abolitionist Lucretia Mott had a sister, Martha Coffin Wright, who lived in Auburn, and who befriended Tubman.

As he has walked, Johnston said he found that he has something in common with Tubman.

“Any of the freedom seekers who traveled this way had to have help and collaboration,” Johnston said Friday.

“Harriet Tubman didn’t work alone. She had many friends and allies who assisted her and all the freedom seekers who needed to make it to Canada. And it involved Black, white and Indigenous people.”

He said he has been amazed at how people he has met on this journey have opened up their homes, or arranged occasional, free hotel stays, for a total stranger.

» READ MORE: At South Jersey riverfront, a 165-mile Walk to Freedom comes to joyous end

“It’s just really wonderful that they are inspired by this idea I have about this historical figure and they just really embraced it and welcomed a total stranger into their home.”

For example, just over a week ago on Aug. 25, Johnston said he had stopped in Geneva, N.Y., to take a break and ran into Kelly Guilfoyle, a businesswoman who started an events and promotions company called Drink Like A Girl. Her company was launched in January 2020 to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Women’s Right to Vote.

“Harriet Tubman didn’t work alone. She had many friends and allies who assisted her and all the freedom seekers who needed to make it to Canada. And it involved Black, white and Indigenous people.”

He said Guilfoyle was intrigued by his walk, and they talked over drinks in a tavern. She then used her connections to help him get a free hotel night in Victor, N.Y., on Sunday, Aug. 28, and another hotel stay, the next day, on Monday, Aug. 29, later in Canandaigua.

Once in Rochester, Guilfoyle and her daughter hosted Johnston for three nights in their home. For much of this journey, he has pitched his tent in state parks over night.

On Friday morning, Johnston walked west on Route 31, from the town of Holley, N.Y. on his way to Medina, N.Y.

The previous day Johnston had arrived in Holley and visited the site where a historical marker for a “Safe House” noted the place where the abolitionist Chauncey Robinson (1792-1866 ) helped people fleeing slavery by hiding them at his home.

Johnston said the people he has met on this journey have been fascinated by the story of his walking from New York to Canada and many said they had not known much about the Underground Railroad in their towns.

“A lot of the Underground Railroad is in plain sight, but it was hidden at the same time,” he said. For example, the “Safe House” historical marker in Holley was only installed in October 2020.

“People are telling me they haven’t been taught this in school. I hear so much that this is local history that they didn’t know about. They really want to know about the Underground Railroad and how it worked, and who was here in this community who assisted these freedom seekers.”

Johnston estimated he may reach Buffalo, perhaps by Labor Day. He is going a bit out of the way from a direct route to Canada to visit Buffalo, because people escaping slavery from western Pennsylvania traveled through Buffalo to reach Canada.

Once he reaches Buffalo, he will be only 20 miles from Niagara Falls and the Canadian border, and St. Catharines will be another 20 miles from there.