Two of the quotes on my wall came from the same person: Reverend John Rankin (1793 - 1886). Mr. Rankin deserves a little bit of background before I give you his quotes. He lived in Ripley, Ohio, which is a riverside town facing Kentucky. Rankin was a preacher who spent years and years teaching people to come unto Christ and working to abolish slavery. He preached for a while in Kentucky, and then decided, since he was getting nowhere with them, to move to Ohio and do the next best thing (the better thing?): help slaves escape to freedom.
He built a house on top of the hill (and it's a HUGE hill), and a staircase leading up to it. Every night he would place a lantern in the window that served as a beacon. Slaves from miles up and down the river were directed to Rankin's house. They had heard that at the top of the hill in Ripley was a man who would help them. So they went to his house. Thousands of them came through, mostly one at a time, and he and his family helped them find safe passage on the first leg of their journey to Canada and freedom.
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| Rob, about to escape to freedom |
He did this, night after sleepless night, at great risk to himself and his family. They fed, clothed, and hid the slaves. Then he repeatedly sent his boys as runners, either carrying messages or with a wagon containing hidden slaves, bearing them to the next stopping point on the Underground Railroad. Once, when Rankin was away, his wife and their 10-year-old son kept an angry mob at bay by standing up to them, shotguns in hand. I have a hard time imagining the bravery and solidarity the entire family had. The amount of selflessness they possessed. These are people who knew what principle and honor and freedom meant. They risked their lives for it every night.
Really, Rankin's whole life should be a quote. Certainly it's an amazing legacy. Here's the two quotes that I put on my wall:
"It is as much a duty to shoot the midnight assassin in his attacks as it is to pray."
"My mother was a woman of strong mental capacity, well able to give a reason for the hope that was within her."
I imagine that John Rankin could also give a reason for the hope that was within him.
Tamra, sorry I missed the quote wall, but I admire you for quoting John Rankin. You can see a photo of him and his wife at my web site www.stephanielreed.com under Scrap Book.
ReplyDeleteI've written two books about the Rankin family, Across the Wide River and The Light Across the River. You can read the first two chapters of each free under books, if you want to know more about the Rankins.
The Rankins were indeed an amazing family!