Samuel D. Burris, a free African-American conductor on the Underground Railroad resided in the Willow Grove area during the 1840s. He helped enslaved people find their pathway to freedom in Philadelphia. Caught for aiding and abetting runaway slaves in 1847, Burris was tried and convicted in the Kent County Court of General Sessions. He was imprisoned in accordance with the law and sold into servitude. Purchased with abolitionist funds, he was taken to Philadelphia. The family moved to San Francisco shortly after California was admitted as a free state. he continued to help others gain their freedom by raising funds for the cause until his death in 1863.

KC-118: Originally installed 10/30/2015

Location:

Henry Cowgill Rd & Willow Grove Rd Camden, DE 19934

 

Links to more resources:

• KC-118: Collected Research Materials
• Delaware Library Catalog: Underground railroad in Delaware, Maryland, and West Virginia, by Switala, William J.
• Delaware Library Catalog: Slavery and freedom in Delaware, 1639-1865, by Williams, William Henry