Africa, Ohio facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Africa, Ohio
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 Africa, Ohio
Location in Ohio
Africa, Ohio
Location in the United States
Africa, Ohio
Location in North America
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| Country | United States |
| State | Ohio |
| County | Delaware |
| Township | Orange |
| Elevation | 856 ft (261 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 1064302 |
Africa is a small, unincorporated community located in Orange Township of southern Delaware County, Ohio, United States. It is found right by Alum Creek. This unique community has a rich history tied to the Underground Railroad, a secret network that helped enslaved people find freedom.
Contents
A Special Name: How Africa, Ohio Got Its Name
Africa, Ohio, has a very special name! It is believed to be the only town in the world named after the Underground Railroad. This was a secret path to freedom for enslaved people.
The first church in the area was likely a Methodist church. It was started around 1828 on the east side of Alum Creek. In 1843, the church members disagreed about slavery. Those who were against slavery formed a new group called the Wesleyan Church. They held their first services in a small cabin. Later, in 1876, they built a church in what is now Africa.
The Story Behind the Name
A special historical marker in the area tells the story of how the community got its name. It also explains how people were divided over the issue of slavery.
Samuel Patterson arrived in the area in 1824. Within a few years, he began to hide enslaved people who were escaping. He also invited speakers who were against slavery to his church. This caused problems with the church leaders.
Because they followed their beliefs, Patterson and his neighbors became Wesleyan Methodists. They built a new church. A neighbor who supported slavery made fun of them. He started calling their community "Africa." That is how East Orange was renamed Africa. The original village is gone, but some homes owned by Patterson and his neighbors are still standing.
Freedom Seekers and New Homes
The other side of the historical marker shares more information. In 1859, enslaved people from a plantation in North Carolina were sent north. The plantation owner's wife did not approve of slavery. She arranged for these people to travel to Ohio and gain their freedom.
These freed people moved to the community of Africa. They lived in log homes and worked for farmers who were against slavery. They also joined the Wesleyan Methodist Church. After the American Civil War, when slavery ended, many of these freed people moved. They settled in communities like Delaware, Westerville, Van Wert, and Paulding counties.
The Patterson Family's Role
The Patterson family built their first log cabin in the 1820s. Around 1840, they built a larger house on the east side of Alum Creek. This house and other homes built by the Pattersons are still standing. These buildings were very important stops on the Underground Railroad.
This part of the Underground Railroad was important because of its connection to two famous songwriters.
Music and the Underground Railroad
A stop on the Underground Railroad north of the Patterson farm was in Mt. Vernon. This was the home of Dan Emmett. In 1842, Emmett and three other men formed a music group called the Virginia Minstrels. Emmett wrote famous songs like "Old Dan Tucker," "Dixie," "Turkey in the Straw," and "The Blue Tail Fly."
"Dixie" became popular very quickly. When the Civil War began, soldiers from both the North and the South marched to this tune. But by the end of 1861, "Dixie" had become a Southern song. Emmett did not support the South. He was not happy when the Southern states used his song as their unofficial "National Anthem." The Virginia Minstrels are seen as the first true minstrel group in the nation. This type of entertainment later changed into vaudeville and then into Broadway shows.
Benjamin Hanby's Songs for Freedom
The Underground Railroad stop south of the Patterson place was in Westerville, Ohio. Here, Benjamin Hanby, a student at Otterbein College, heard a sad story. A sick enslaved man told him about his sweetheart, Nelly Gray. She had been sold away from him. He wanted to go to Canada to earn money to buy Nelly's freedom, but he died.
Hanby started to write a song. Later, seeing an auction where enslaved people were sold in Kentucky, inspired him to write more. He added a chorus, and this song became the well-known "Darling Nelly Gray." The song tells the story of Nelly, who was chained and taken to Georgia. She worked in the cotton fields until she slowly died.
Hanby also wrote the Christmas carol "Up on the House Top." He also wrote the Christian hymn "Who Is He In Yonder Stall?" Because his songs often focused on important themes, Hanby has been called the "Uncle Tom's Cabin" of song. Songs like his, and books like Ohioan Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, helped people in the North understand the harsh conditions of slavery. This helped start the movement to end slavery. Hanby's home is now a historic landmark next to the Otterbein University campus. Hanby's grave is in the nearby Otterbein Cemetery in Westerville, Ohio.
Africa Today
Africa, Ohio, is located next to Alum Creek State Park. This park is a popular recreation area in central Ohio. It gets over three million visitors each year. Because Africa is so close to the park and the Alum Creek Dam, many visitors might see the town and the road. However, they might not know about its important history.
Africa, Ohio, was even featured on the country music television show "Hee Haw" in 1973. At that time, it had a population of just 16 people.
Geography
Africa is located next to the Alum Creek State Park, which is an Ohio recreation area. It sits on Africa Road. This road roughly follows the path that escaping enslaved people took on the Underground Railroad before the American Civil War. Africa was first known as Orange Station. Some early records called the area the "East Orange Post Office." At one time, Orange Station had a post office, a general store, and a saloon.
