This postcard-perfect New York village used to be an anti-slavery powerhouse

The Fullers’ Skaneateles Station and the Jerry Rescue

The quiet village of Skaneateles once stood as a giant in the fight against slavery.

In 1834, English Quakers James and Lydia Fuller moved to 98 West Genesee Street, turning their home into a key Underground Railroad stop by 1839.

Soon after, James took charge as secretary of the local Anti-Slavery Society.

Even Frederick Douglass called him “a fast, faithful, and noble friend of the slave” in his newspaper. Though small, Skaneateles soon “eclipsed Syracuse” in anti-slavery work.

The Fuller family later helped with the famous Jerry Rescue of 1851, smuggling the freed man to safety in Canada.

Their Federal-style home still stands today, marked with a plaque that tells this bold story of American courage.

Quakers Brought Strong Abolitionist Values to Upstate New York

James and Lydia Canning Fuller got married at Bristol Friends Meeting House in 1815, starting a team that would change a small New York town.

The couple saw America as a place where their Quaker values could grow. James visited Skaneateles in 1833 to check out the area.

On April 20, 1834, the Fullers moved to the Finger Lakes village and bought a house at 98 West Genesee Street from Revolutionary War veteran John Briggs.

Local Anti-Slavery Group Formed Against Powerful Opposition

The Skaneateles Anti-Slavery Society formed in 1837, with James Fuller becoming secretary the next year. The group quickly sent demands to Congress for freedom for all enslaved people.

Fuller worked hard on both temperance and abolitionist causes in the community. British immigrants, mostly fellow Quakers, gave Skaneateles a worldly feel that welcomed new ideas.

The town became a center of abolitionist work despite the money and social risks.

Their Family Home Became a Secret Freedom Station

Around 1839, the Fullers turned their West Genesee Street home into an Underground Railroad station.

Their house linked the route from Syracuse through Marcellus to Skaneateles and then to Auburn. People seeking freedom found food, rest, and safety there.

James also helped start the British-American Institute in Canada, a school for people who escaped slavery. His work earned him a spot at the World’s Anti-Slavery Convention in London in 1840.

James Traveled to Kentucky on a Dangerous Rescue Mission

In 1841, James Fuller went to Kentucky on a risky trip to buy an enslaved family. He spent 26 days away from home to purchase a man, his wife, and their five children from an owner with money troubles.

Lydia wrote about this rescue in a letter to their son Samuel in England. This trip marked the first well-known case of the Fuller family’s Underground Railroad work.

Small Village Outshined Much Larger Syracuse in the Fight

A local historian noted that Skaneateles “beat Syracuse as an anti-slavery town,” surprising many given the size gap between the two places.

The small lakeside town took up the abolitionist cause with great energy. The Fuller house became a main meeting place for abolitionists across the region.

Frederick Douglass praised James in his newspaper The North Star in 1849 as a “fast, faithful, and noble friend of the slave.”

Lydia Kept the Flame Burning After Her Husband’s Death

James Canning Fuller died on November 25, 1847, at 54 years old. The town honored him with the first Quaker monument ever placed in Lake View Cemetery.

Lydia showed great courage by keeping the Underground Railroad station running after losing her husband.

Her work grew more dangerous after 1850 when the Fugitive Slave Law passed, creating big fines for anyone helping freedom seekers.

Despite the higher risks, Lydia kept the station open.

New Federal Law Made Helping Escaped Slaves a Serious Crime

The Fugitive Slave Act passed in September 1850, forcing northern states to return escaped slaves to their owners.

Daniel Webster came to Syracuse in May 1851 to support the unpopular law, calling the city a “lab of abolitionism, libel, and treason.”

Federal officers put more pressure on Underground Railroad workers like the Fullers. The law made all officials and citizens in free states help catch fugitives.

The Fullers faced jail time and fines for their help.

Fuller Family Helped Free a Man from Federal Custody

On October 1, 1851, federal marshals arrested William “Jerry” Henry in Syracuse during a Liberty Party meeting.

Dr.James Fuller, son of James and Lydia, joined the effort to save Jerry from custody. A crowd of 2,500 people stormed the Syracuse jail and freed the captured man.

Jerry traveled the Underground Railroad to Kingston, Ontario, with help from the Fuller family. This bold action became the most famous Underground Railroad rescue in New York.

They Sheltered Another Abolitionist After the Daring Rescue

Rev. Jermain Loguen, a key Syracuse abolitionist, worried about arrest after the Jerry Rescue. Syracuse celebrated October 1st as Jerry Rescue Day for years after.

He left his horse and carriage at the Fuller house while planning his next move. Sumner Fuller, another son in the family, drove Loguen west to safety.

Though officers arrested twenty-seven people for the rescue, only one minor conviction came from it.

The Underground Railroad Station Operated for Nearly Two Decades

Lydia Fuller kept the Underground Railroad station running until her death on December 12, 1857.

Records show at least three known cases of freedom seekers stopping at the Fuller house, though the real number was likely much higher.

As of 2002, the Fuller house stood as the last remaining known Underground Railroad station in Onondaga County.

The station ran for about 18 years under the Fuller family, during the most dangerous time for Underground Railroad work.

Their House Still Stands as a Monument to Courage

James Allen Root bought the house from Lydia’s estate in 1861 and continued hosting abolitionist meetings there.

The Fuller house earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003, recognizing its historical significance.

A historical marker went up in 1999, identifying the site as an Underground Railroad station. Today, the house at 98 West Genesee Street stands as a testament to the family’s bravery.

Visiting Skaneateles, New York

You can visit the Fuller house at 98 West Genesee Street, where English Quakers James and Lydia Canning Fuller ran one of New York’s most documented Underground Railroad stations.

The private residence has a historical marker you can see from the street and sits across from Lake View Cemetery.

For more Underground Railroad research, check out the Skaneateles Historical Society Museum at 28 Hannum Street, open Fridays and Saturdays 1-4pm with donations requested.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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