Ross Furnace, UGRR Station

New Florence, PA 

Two couples, two different stories: Katy & Frank Coleman, John Parker & Catharine Black.

Frank and Katy Coleman operated an UGRR site out of their home in Fairfield Twp, PA and worked at nearby Ross Furnace. One of the furnace owners, Col. Mathiot, a Quaker, worked in conjunction with the couple. In her 1903 interview, Katy Coleman stated that she and her husband Frank had helped at least 50 freedom seekers. Among those helped were John Parker and his love, Catherine Black, who came dressed as a man. Their story was shared by Katy to Elisabeth Paull and was immortalized in her family’s history book.

Source: Paull-Irwin: A Family Sketch By Elisabeth Maxwell Paull