Also American
AchievementJanuary 1850· politics

Lewis Hayden Runs Boston's Most Daring Underground Railroad Station

Lewis Hayden, who escaped Kentucky slavery in 1844, turned his Boston home into a major Underground Railroad depot. He kept two kegs of gunpowder in his cellar, threatening to blow up the house if slave-catchers entered. He sheltered William and Ellen Craft and helped prevent the rendition of Shadrach Minkins in 1851.