Quaker Time Line – General and Cass County Area
--Compiled by Brenda and Bill Beadenkopf, Quaker historians and URSCC Research/History Committee members
1647- George Fox, founder of Quakerism, begins preaching publicly. Women can be preachers and ministers, can inherit and own property, angers established church – refuse to take oaths or doff their hats to authority. Followers started calling themselves the “Friends of the Truth” or “Friends of the Light”, which became simply “Friends.”
1676- George Fox, in travels to the colonies, encouraged Friends to free their slaves after a term of years, providing for their future.
1683- William Penn comes to New World to establish his colony in Pennsylvania, a Holy Experiment, “To see what love can do.” Insists settlers pay Indians a fair price for native land, treats natives with dignity and respects their culture. Tries to enact legislation against slavery.
1688- First official protest against slavery in U.S. The Germantown Declaration, near Philadelphia. Was sent to Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends for consideration.
1754- Quaker John Woolman publishes Some Considerations on the Keeping of Negroes and travels through the South, encouraging Friends to free their slaves.
1800- Second great milestone after Germantown declaration: Quakers become first major sect to give up their slaves. It becomes a “disownable” offense to own slaves, with the exception of North & South Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia. Some Friends in those states, finding it illegal to free their slaves, make plans to move to states where emancipating slaves is legal.
1807- Britain abolishes slave trade, largely through the efforts of Quakers.
1816- Charles Osborn writes first article to be published in the US advocating unconditional and immediate emancipation of slaves. Publishes first anti-slavery newspaper, The Philanthropist, in Ohio.
1826- Levi Coffin (unofficial ‘President’ of UGRR) sends first freedom seekers north via the “Quaker Line” of UGRR; Cass County / Young’s Prairie one of his main drop-off points.
1831- Stephen Bogue moves to Cass County, Mich.
1831- William and Rachel Talbot East move from North Carolina and Virginia, staying for a time in Whitewater, Ind.
1833- Slavery abolished in Britain. Friends take a large share in the movements leading up to these events.
1833- American Anti-Slavery Society formed in Pennsylvania by William Lloyd Garrison.
1833- Indiana abolitionists select Charles Osborn as their representative to World Anti-Slavery Convention in London, England.
1833- The William East family arrives in Cass County (Porter and Calvin townships) in November.
1836- Birch Lake Meeting founded by Stephen Bogue at his residence (now M60 and Crooked Creek Rd.)
1837- Michigan becomes a state.
1837- Log Meetinghouse erected for Birch Lake Meeting and the Meeting moves to present-day James Street near home of William and Rachel East. Rachel Talbot East first clerk of the Women’s Meeting for Birch Lake Friends Meeting.
1840’s-50's-Freedom seekers and Free Blacks work on Quaker farms, build cabins, send their children to school and participate in community life. One settlement of several cabins on property owned by James E. Bonine (Calvin Center and M60) came to be called Ramptown. Many prospered and we able to settle here permanently, purchasing their own land.
1840-1860- It is said that over 1,500 freedom seekers are sent on the UGRR from the area around Vandalia to William Wheeler of Flowerfield, Dr. Nathan & Pamela Thomas in Schoolcraft; on to Erastus and Sarah Hussey in Battle Creek, Detroit and then Canada. Some of these freedom seekers come from Chicago and the west, on the “Illinois Line.” Quaker UGRR conductor W.S. Elliot brings fugitives from stationmaster L.P. Alexander in Niles to Quakers in Cassopolis and Vandalia. Others come from Indiana on the "Quaker Line"
1841- Birch Lake Meeting admitted to Northern Quarter of the Indiana Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends.
1842- Charles Osborn (and wife Hannah) moves to Cass County, and becomes a resident of Penn Township. His son Josiah Osborn and grandson Jefferson Osborn are later key abolitionists in Cass County. Josiah’s daughter, Angelina Osborn, testifies later at Kentucky Raid Trial.
1843- Abolitionist Quakers in Indiana Yearly Meeting split and form the Anti-Slavery Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. In line with that split, Birch Lake Meeting disowns Bogues, Osborns, Lees and Shugarts for “Joining an Anti-slavery Society.”
1843- James E. Bonine arrives in Cass County, marries Sarah Bogue, daughter of Stephen Bogue in 1844 and begins construction of the large brick house at location of present-day intersection of M-60 and Calvin Center/ Penn Road.
1845- Founding of Young’s Prairie Anti-Slavery Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. Trustees were Zachariah Shugart, Ishmael Lee and Samuel Thomas, with Stephen Bogue as witness.
1846 Isaac Bonine begins an Indulged Meeting (a spin-off of Birch Lake) at his house on Young’s Prairie
1847- Freedom seeker Perry Sanford arrives from Kentucky and begins working for Stephen Bogue, staying in one of his cabins. He becomes a first person witness to the Kentucky raid, giving an interview to a reporter in Battle Creek some years later.
1847- Kentucky Raid. The Osborn, East, Shugart and Bogue farms are raided. Ishmael Lee and daughter Sallie East Lee shelter Kentucky Raid fugitives at their home during the trial.
1848- A Meeting House is built at or near the Indulged Meeting on Isaac Bonine’s property and named Prairie Grove Monthly Meeting of Friends. Stephen Bogue donates land for and platts Village of Vandalia.
1848-52 Kentucky Raid civil trial in Detroit.
1849 – Ishmael Lee reinstated in membership with Birch Lake/Prairie Grove
1850- Charles Osborn dies. His wife and several of his children are buried at Prairie Grove Cemetery.
1850- Federal Fugitive Slave Law enacted.
1856- Schism in Quakerism is healed. The groups reconcile, and the Anti-slavery Society Friends Meetings dissolved.
1856 thru Civil War-- All Quakers work together in the UGRR
1875 - Prairie Grove becomes Preparative Meeting.
1868--Stephen Bogue dies. He and Hannah Bogue are buried in Prairie Grove cemetery.
1870's- James E. Bonine and his brother Lot, build a red-brick church in Vandalia, dedicated in 1879. This becomes the third Friends Meeting in the area.
1880- Construction of Penn Friends Meeting House is completed on land given by Nathan Jones. The Meeting moves from Prairie Grove to the Village of Penn, and at that time the name is changed.
1886- Penn, Birch Lake and Vandalia Monthly Meetings establish their own Quarterly Meeting organization (meeting together four times a year) to be held in the Vandalia church built by the Bonine brothers.
1915 – Vandalia Monthly Meeting discontinued.
1921 – Birch Lake Monthly Meeting laid down.
By 1966 the Vandalia Church had become the Masonic Lodge and Birch Lake’s building was torn down due to disuse and vandals. The Birch Lake cemetery was deeded to Indiana Yearly Meeting, the Yearly Meeting and IYM has taken responsibility for its upkeep. The Vandalia church has now been torn down, and Penn Friends is the only Friends Meeting or church left in Cass County.
Quakers and the Underground Railroad
Underground Railroad Society
of Cass County, Michigan
urscc.org