Hilltop View

Ohio History

Down the Rankin Stairs

Here is that awesome view from the Rankin house—five miles up and down the Ohio! Runaway slaves waiting to cross the river at night could easily see the hilltop signal light. If the candle in the window was lit, the river was clear of slave hunters and slaves could safely cross. No light meant wait til another night. After crossing the river in skiffs, the fugitives were led through Ripley to these stairs leading up the hill to the Rankin house. Here they would be fed and hidden till they could move on to a station further north.