As many as 1,500 freedom seekers who escaped slavery may have passed through Northwest Indiana en route to Canada, but little is known about their stories.

A project aims to unearth the hidden history of the Underground Railroad in Northwest Indiana.

Tom Shepherd and Larry McClellan, who brought to light the store of the Ton Farm's role in helping former slaves escape to freedom via the Little Calumet River Underground Railroad Project, have launched the Chicago-to-Detroit Freedom Trail initiative. They have been seeking volunteers to shine a brighter light on the Region's role in the Underground Railroad.

"Northwest Indiana is a forgotten stepchild," McClellan said at a recent talk at the Hammond Public Library.

About a decade ago, the state published five volumes on the Underground R

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