Levi Coffin was an abolitionist and humanitarian, often called the “President of the Underground Railroad” for his role in helping thousands of enslaved Africans escape to freedom. Alongside his wife, Catherine, he provided shelter, food, and guidance to fugitives from their homes in Indiana and Ohio, and later worked to support freed slaves through education and aid programs.
Levi Coffin Jr. was born on October 28, 1798, on a farm in Guilford County, North Carolina, near what would later become Greensboro. He was the only son of Levi Coffin Sr. and Prudence Williams, and grew up alongside six sisters in a deeply devout Quaker family.
His parents and grandparents had never owned slaves, and from an early age, Coffin was immersed in the Quaker principles of equality, compassion, and moral responsibility. These teachings shaped his understanding of right and wrong, planting the seeds of a lifelong commitment to opposing slavery.
Coffin’s earliest memory of the injustice of slavery came when he was just seven years old. He saw a man in chains, and asked why he was bound. The man explained that the chains were meant to prevent him from escaping and returning to his family.
The sight of a father chained like an animal to prevent him from escaping left a deep impression on young Levi. He later wrote that this moment “disturbed” him and awakened a lasting sense of moral duty to oppose such cruelty.
By the age of fifteen, Coffin was already taking action. He began helping escapees who sought refuge on his family’s farm, bringing them food and water under the cover of night.
As North Carolina tightened the enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Law of 1793 and passed increasingly harsh Black Codes, the dangers for Coffin and his family escalated. They were forced to carry out their efforts in complete secrecy, often under the cover of night, to avoid detection by slave catchers or hostile neighbors.
The growing hostility toward Quakers who aided escapees convinced many families that they could no longer live safely in the state. With land more affordable and slavery prohibited in the Northwest Territory, it became an appealing destination for those committed to freedom. For Levi Coffin and his relatives, joining the migration north offered both safety and the chance to live in a community aligned with their anti-slavery values.
During this period, Levi met Catherine White, a fellow Quaker and long-time family friend. Catherine shared his anti-slavery convictions and came from a family that also opposed slavery. On October 28, 1824, Levi and Catherine married at the Hopewell Friends Meetinghouse in North Carolina. Their union was more than a marriage; it was a partnership grounded in faith, moral duty, and a shared commitment to helping those in bondage.
The couple’s first child, Jesse, was born in 1825, prompting them to delay their move north. Meanwhile, Levi’s parents had already relocated to Indiana in 1825, seeking a safer environment to live according to their Quaker beliefs.
In 1826, Levi, Catherine, and their infant son joined them, settling in Newport (now Fountain City), Wayne County, Indiana. Here, the Coffins would lay the foundation for decades of courageous work on the Underground Railroad, transforming their home into a sanctuary for fleeing enslaved Africans while raising a family in a community of like-minded Quakers.
In Indiana, Coffin combined his business with humanitarian work. He farmed, operated a dry-goods store, ran a flax mill, and became a director at the Richmond branch of the Second State Bank of Indiana, using his wealth and influence to support the escape of enslaved Africans.
His Newport home earned the nickname the Underground Railroad’s “Grand Central Station,” with hidden rooms and secret passages designed to shelter fugitives. At times, fourteen people could be hidden in a narrow crawlspace when slave catchers arrived.
Coffin’s work in Indiana was not without risk. Local opposition boycotted his store, neighbors warned him of danger, and slave hunters frequently threatened his life. Yet, guided by his faith, Coffin refused to stop. He once explained, “If by doing my duty and endeavoring to fulfill the injunctions of the Bible, I injured my business, then let my business go. As to my safety, my life was in the hands of my Divine Master.”
Over two decades in Indiana, Coffin estimated he assisted about 2,000 escaping slaves, often coordinating with local free Black communities and other abolitionists to move fugitives safely from one station to the next. His home became a central hub connecting escape routes from Madison, New Albany, and Cincinnati, facilitating their journey toward Canada and freedom.
In 1847, Coffin moved with Catherine to Cincinnati, Ohio, near the Ohio River, to oversee a warehouse that sold only free-labor goods, products not produced by enslaved Africans. Though the business struggled financially, Coffin remained committed to both abolition and ethical commerce.
During their time in Cincinnati, he and Catherine sheltered an estimated 1,300 more fugitives, often disguising them in uniforms or clothing that allowed them to blend into society while traveling. Their Cincinnati home on Wehrman Street served as another critical stop, with rooms constantly filled with Africans fleeing slavery.
Coffin’s work in Ohio coincided with increasing tensions as the nation moved closer to civil war. He extended his efforts beyond sheltering escapees, helping to found a Cincinnati orphanage for Black children and providing aid to wounded Union soldiers despite his pacifist beliefs. Coffin also supported the establishment of the Freedmen’s Bureau, advocating for education, financial support, and businesses for freed slaves.
In his later years, Coffin traveled across the Midwest and overseas to France and Great Britain, helping form societies to provide food, clothing, funds, and education to former slaves. He raised significant funds for the Western Freedman’s Aid Society, ensuring that freed African Americans had access to resources to build independent lives. Coffin remained cautious, however, insisting that aid focus on those who could benefit most from education and support.
In 1876, a year before his death, Coffin published his autobiography, Reminiscences of Levi Coffin, offering one of the most detailed firsthand accounts of the Underground Railroad and the lives of those he helped.
Levi Coffin passed away on September 16, 1877, at his home in Avondale, Ohio, at the age of 78. His funeral at the Friends Meeting House in Cincinnati drew a crowd so large that hundreds had to remain outside. His pallbearers included freed African Americans who had worked alongside him in the Underground Railroad.
Coffin was buried in Spring Grove Cemetery, with a monument later erected by African Americans to honor his unwavering courage. Catherine Coffin died four years later and was laid to rest beside him.
Today, the Levi Coffin House in Fountain City, Indiana, stands as a National Historic Landmark and museum, showcasing the secret rooms, false-bottom wagons, and hiding places used to protect escapees. Often called the “Grand Central Station” of the Underground Railroad, it continues to educate visitors about Coffin’s extraordinary efforts.
Sources:
https://www.rbhayes.org/research/levi-coffin-the-president-of-the-underground-railroad/
https://www.nps.gov/people/levi-coffin.htm
https://visitindiana.in.gov/blog/post/secrets-of-the-levi-coffin-house/
