VANDALIA — The Underground Railroad Society of Cass County will introduce the public to the UGRR Research Library in the historic Bonine House at M60 and Penn Road in Vandalia from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16.

The library is home to information on African American, Quaker and other abolitionist families who were part of the Underground Railroad in Cass County. 

Local, regional and national historians have donated their Cass County UGRR research to URSCC, with extensive information on the Kentucky Raid, Ramptown, 102USCT, Calvin Township and the extended Bonine family, among many, many topics of interest to families, historians and academics worldwide. Some of these researchers will be on hand to talk about their work.  Others will be represented by family members, and some by correspondence.

Visitors will be shown the various collections in the library, as well as how to access the digitized research online. All information can be copied as desired.

“The Bonine House UGRR Research Library is the heart of our mission–to research and tell the story of the Underground Railroad in Cass County,” said URSCCC Spokesperson Cathy LaPointe. “We are very grateful to historians and families who have given us their research, and to those who worked over three years cataloguing and digitizing thousands of documents, ensuring they will be available to future generations.”

The Bonine House, Carriage House and the Bogue House will be open for tours after the presentation.  Dessert and beverages will be served.  Additional information and powerpoints that tell the story of the UGRR in Cass County can be found on urscc.org.