Joseph Goodrich and his wife were Seventh Day Baptists, which meant they held the staunchly radical belief that slavery was wrong.
So, they built a hexagonal inn called the Milton House in Milton, Wisconsin. It was a modest, unassuming stop along a little thing known as the Underground Railroad.
From the front, it was just a run-of-the-mill six-sided motel for stagecoach travelers. But in the back, there was a cabin with a trapdoor that led to a tunnel which went straight into the basement of the inn.
The incredible fucked up and actual law at the time said that any runaway enslaved person had to be returned to the South. So, the Milton House was key for freedom seekers for getting a good night’s rest and a little nourishment before continuing through Racine, and then to Canada. Because who wants to spend more than one night in Racine?
The tunnel still exists today and the Milton House is open for public tours and donations. Learn more about the Milton House Museum at their website here.
