Photo 5-WDU-31

Comments

Buildings were gone by 1988.

Historically: The Strong Farm. Once a stop on the Underground Railroad.

Hi Daniel,
Do you have a personal connection to the farm or just an interest in local history? Do you know what kind of farm the Strong Farm was?

Hello Alexis, my passion for this area of Aurora or Eola goes back to the small farm my Grandma grew up on nearby. One of a couple Poss farms in the area. It was up on the north-west side of Eola & New York where there's a retention pond now. Tore down in the 1980s I believe. I don't see the farm on this website unfortunately but I'm lucky to have plenty of family pictures. I do see the farms and houses that were on the east side of Eola are on here... As for the Strong Farm I don't have any additional info on what kind of farm it originally was or went on to be. Though I think I may have seen the farm discussed on the history based "Aurora, IL - Then and Now" and/or "Aurora, Illinois...Our City of Brilliant Lights, Past & Present" Facebook groups a few times. I made the Underground Railroad connection in the book "The Underground Railroad In Illinois" by Glennette Tilley Turner". Where a great story took place long ago...

A man and his family who's names have been omitted by history books were enslaved in Missouri. He was freed but his family was not, so he remained in the area hoping to gain his family's freedom. He received 50 cents for a days work and made regular payments to his former slaveholder towards the purchase of his wife and 2 children. He did this for 2 years, then learned that the slaveholder had betrayed him and sold his family to a slaver in Georgia. The man tried in vain to locate his family and finally set out for Canada alone and broken hearted. En route he stopped at the home of Deacon William Strong here at the north-east corner of Eola & New York. Deacon Strong escorted the man to the home of Avis and Israel Blodgett in Downers Grove (Which still stands) When they reached the Blodgetts the man learned that his wife and children were asleep inside! They had escaped on the UGRR and arrived that very night. The family was overjoyed to be reunited...

Its said slaves visited the home of William & Carolyn Strong by way of Princeton, Somonauk, Plano, Jericho, Little Rock as well as John Wagner and Dan Smiths in Aurora and then onto Downers Grove. Deacon Strong originally belonged to the Big Woods Church and was instrumental in the organization of Congregational churches in Aurora and Batavia.

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Do you have a connection to this photograph? Maybe you grew up here or know someone who did? What has changed in the 41 years since this photo was taken? Tell us!