―

John Graff was a wealthy merchant, devoted elder in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and strong temperance man.  John Graff was also an agent on the Underground Railroad.

Mr. Graff’s vast holdings in coal companies, transportation, and iron furnaces connected him with the UGRR network outside of Indiana County.  In Blairsville, Mr. Graff had constructed a tunnel from the top of the Conemaugh riverbank, through the yard of his brother’s 1820s home, under South Liberty St, and into the floor of his carriage house. The carriage house was a hiding area for the freedom seekers.  

John Graff worked in conjunction with fellow Underground Railroad conductor Lewis Johnston.