Learn about Levi Coffin
Levi Coffin (1798-1877), known as the “President of the Underground Railroad,” was a Quaker abolitionist who dedicated his life to the cause of freedom. Born in North Carolina in 1798 and influenced by the teachings of Quaker preacher John Woolman, Coffin was raised in a family that opposed slavery. By the age of 15, Coffin was already assisting Freedom Seekers, helping smuggle a kidnapped free Black man, Stephen, to safety.
In 1821, he and his cousin Vestal Coffin established a Sunday school for enslaved individuals, teaching them to read using the Bible. However, pro-slavery forces soon shut it down. In 1824, Coffin married Catherine White and moved to Newport (now Fountain City), Indiana, not far from the Ohio border, where his home became a major Underground Railroad station. Over 20 years, the Coffins helped more than 2,000 humans escape bondage.
Related Article: Honoring Black Cincinnatians at Spring Grove Cemetery
In 1847, the Coffins moved to Cincinnati and operated a store that sold only free-labor goods, defiantly refusing to support the slave economy. While in Cincinnati, he aided another 1,300 Freedom Seekers, often hiding them in secret compartments in his store.
During the Civil War, Coffin played a major role in relief efforts for freedmen, raising over $100,000 in England for the Freedmen’s Aid Society. He and Catherine are buried at Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati. His 1876 autobiography, Reminiscences of Levi Coffin, documented his lifelong commitment to abolition and remains one of the most detailed firsthand accounts of Underground Railroad operations.
Location
4521 Spring Grove Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45232
Public Information and Further Reading
4521 Spring Grove Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45232. The Coffin Memorial Location is Section 101, Lot 343, Space 25.
Levi Coffin (U.S. National Park Service)
Related Article: Step Into History with the Freedom Journey App
About The Freedom Journey App
Follow Underground Railroad stories of courage along the Ohio River border with the GPS-mapped and historically accurate Freedom Journey App, filled with accredited content created by America’s River Roots in collaboration with the Cincinnati Museum Center and National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Speak the names of the abolitionists and Freedom Seekers risking everything for freedom.
This digital platform leads to the pivotal stories that honor those who, against all odds, pursued freedom. These brave souls and specific locations still have much to say.
Credit: All content and images courtesy of America’s River Roots. Used with permission. This content was created in full accreditation and partnership with the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and the Cincinnati Museum Center. App content was authored by Holly Brians Ragusa
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