Program on Local Quakers is a Fund-Raiser to Replace Local Historical Marker
Submitted by Don Papson
“Quakerism, the Peru Quakers and the Underground Railroad” is the topic of a talk to be presented by Neal S. Burdick at the Peru Community Church Fellowship Center at 7 p.m. on Saturday, November 8. The program, sponsored by the North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association (NCUGRHA), will feature songs by Lita Kelly.
A minimum donation of $5 per person for admission will go toward defraying the cost of replacing the New York State historical marker at the Keese Homestead at the corner of Union and Harkness Roads in the Town of Ausable. The original marker shattered when it was struck by a speeding vehicle. There will be no admission charge to this special event for children under the age of 12. Following the presentations, refreshments will be available for sale, with proceeds also going toward the new sign. The Keese Homestead, which has been owned for many years by historian Lincoln Sunderland and his wife, Ann, was built by Peter Keese, who signed an 1833 petition calling for an end to slavery in Washington, D.C. Members of the extensive Keese family were leaders among the Peru Quakers and key agents of the Underground Railroad.
Burdick, a native of Plattsburgh, is associate director of university communications at St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y., and a freelance writer and editor whose work appears frequently in Adirondack Life and Adirondack Explorer. A practicing Quaker, he is a descendant of many of the Quakers who lived in what was known as the Quaker Union, south of Peru, in the 19th century. His talk will focus on Quaker beliefs and practices and why those beliefs inspired the Quakers to be deeply involved in the Underground Railroad.
Kelly is a music teacher at Seton Catholic Central School and Seton Academy, and a well-known local musician. She was the first area artist to celebrate the Underground Railroad in local classrooms. In 2008, NCUGRHA recognized Lita Kelly for her exemplary service by presenting her with its Lantern Light Award. At the November 8 event, Kelly will premiere a new song to celebrate the life of Underground Railroad agent Stephen Keese Smith, who was Burdick’s great-great-grandfather.
CONTACT:
Don Papson
North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association
518-561-0277
NCUGRHA@aol.com
Posted: October 24th, 2008 under General News.