Trail shines a light on 11 landmarks significant in Tubman’s life
By Mary Beth Roach
Auburn has been dubbed “History’s Hometown” — an appropriate nickname since many figures in the chapters of American history have ties to the city.
Today, visitors can delve into some of those chapters by taking part in an interactive walking tour, called Harriet’s Lantern Trail.
Named for Harriet Tubman, who was instrumental in the Underground Railroad and lived in Auburn for 50-plus years until her death in 1913, the Lantern Trail shines a light on 11 landmarks significant in Tubman’s life, as well as other historical locations, and arts and cultural institutions. A number of the sites highlight abolition and women’s suffrage, since Auburn has long been recognized as a center for these movements.
The tour will appeal to history buffs, to be sure, but also to the younger visitors because it incorporates a digital component with its QR codes, said Courtney Rae Kasper, visitor experience manager for the NYS Equal Rights Heritage Center.
Trail organizers continue to reach out to the younger generations, to “get them to take pride in the place and have pride in history,” Kasper added.
Each spot on the tour features a sticker located on the building or a marker near the venue that bears a lantern logo and a QR code.
Visitors scan that code on their phones, and documents, photos and in some cases videos will pop up with more information on that particular venue.
Visitors are then encouraged to take a picture of the sites and once they have all 11, they can visit the NYS Equal Rights Heritage Center, at 25 South St., for a free gift bag.
The trail is free and the sites are within a two-mile radius of the Heritage Center, Kasper said. Visitors can start at any point along the way, and they can take as long as they want to complete the tour. They are also welcome to tour those sites where there are museums. There may be a fee for some of those locations.
The Lantern Trail is an interesting prologue for those who wish to explore those chapters of history.
The sites are listed below and the location of the lantern sticker for each location is indicated in the parentheses.
Also visit equalrightsheritage.com/harriets-lantern-trail for more information.
1 NYS Equal Rights Heritage Center (Historical Marker)
25 South St.
The center was the former location of Auburn’s Women’s Educational and Industrial Union (WEIU), which was established in 1882 and modeled after the Union that was begun in Boston in 1877. It quickly outgrew its original space, and a center was established on this South Street site, offering nursing, bookkeeping and typewriting classes, an employment service and recreational opportunities for women. It would later merge with the YMCA.
2 Seward House Museum (William H. Seward Historical Marker)
33 South St.
Many are familiar with William Seward, former New York state governor, secretary of state under President Abraham Lincoln and the man who arranged for the purchase of Alaska, which became known as Seward’s Folly. However, his wife, Frances, holds a significant place in history as well. Frances and Tubman became friends, and Frances had turned the basement of the house into a station on the Underground Railroad.
3 Harriet Tubman Home, Inc./Harriet Tubman National Historical Park (Historical Marker)
180 S Street Road
Arguably the most famous “conductor” on the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman lived in Auburn, from 1859 until her death in 1913. In 1903, she transferred 25 acres to the AME Zion Church for the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged and Infirm Negros. That home would open in 1908, and Harriet went there to live in 1911 until her death two years later. The Harriet Tubman National Historical Park was established in 2017.
4 Fort Hill Cemetery (Main Gate Historical Marker)
19 Fort St.
The final resting place for a number of Auburn notables, among them, Tubman; William and Frances Seward; and Theodore W. Case, who is credited with developing the first commercially successful soundtrack for motion pictures.
5 Willard Memorial Chapel (front door)
17 Nelson St.
Built in 1892-94, the historic building features stained glass and interior decoration by the Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company of New York City.
6 Market Street Park (Owasco River Trail Overlook Sign)
Market Street Park
As Kasper explained, the Park features an overlook to the Owasco outlet and was the central community gathering space before urban renewal rerouted the area. When the QR code is scanned, she said, visitors will see a newspaper clipping when City Hall was located where the current Auburn Police Department is, and important suffrage meetings were held there, including one that Harriet Tubman attended.
7 Auburn Public Theater (Front Door)
8 Exchange St.
The theater offers classes and productions in a variety of the arts.
8 Seymour Library (Historical Marker)
176 Genesee St.
The building was constructed in 1898, designed by Carrere and Hastings, who also designed the New York Public Library. It opened in 1903 and was expanded in 1972.
9 Cayuga Museum of History & Art (Case Research Lab Historical Marker)
203 Genesee St.
This lab here is where Theodore W. Case, with his assistant, Earl I. Sponable, developed sound film, and then partnered with Fox Studios to create Movietone News. The center also hosts Creative Explorers, which invites children up to the age of 12 to learn more about history, science and the arts with all their senses.
10 Schweinfurth Art Center (Front Door)
205 Genesee St.
The center hosts exhibits, classes, workshops and an open studio.
11 Votes for Women Historical Marker (Exchange Street Plaza)
102 Genesee St.
On this site was the headquarters of the Cayuga County Political Equity Club, an organization founded in 1891 to campaign for women’s suffrage in Cayuga County until women got the right to vote in New York in 1917, according to the William G. Pomeroy Foundation.