Underground railroad historic marker getting a face-lift

 LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) – A piece of Tippecanoe County’s past is on its way to receive a face-lift.

A home in rural Tippecanoe County, near Shadeland, is the only location in the county confirmed to have been a stop along the underground railroad.

Buddell and Elizabeth Sleeper were members of a Quaker community and conductors along the underground railroad in the 19th Century.

To commemorate the historical site, a sign was placed at this location in the 1960’s. That sign has fallen into a state of disrepair and needs to be replaced.

The Tippecanoe County Historical Society is raising funds to replace the sign that marks a very significant location in the county’s history.

“The neat part of this, the Sleeper residence, is that it’s the only proven residence to be a stop for the underground railroad in Tippecanoe County. There’s other houses in town that said were possibly a stop, but this one is proven,” said Shane Weist, with the Tippecanoe County Historical Society. “So it’s very important that we, for historical purposes, keep this sign here so people can know that this occurred.”

Because is it the only known stop locally for the underground railroad, he said that makes it important to preserve for history for future generations.

“There’s much more value in it. So we hope that this can bring notoriety so that school children and families can go out and see where this occurred, and we’re hoping to open up the residence so people can go check it out the day of the unveiling, Weist said.

So far, the Historical Society has raised nearly $700 for the sign. They are hoping to raise $1,000 so they can install a higher-quality bronze sign.