The Tiny Iowa Town Of Lewis Was Once A Stop Along The Underground Railroad
By Kim Magaraci|Published December 17, 2019
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Kim Magaraci
Author
Kim Magaraci graduated Rutgers University with a degree in Geography and has spent the last seven years as a freelance travel writer. Contact: kmagaraci@onlyinyourstate.com
Iowa is a state full of history, and those who love to learn will enjoy planning trips to visit our National Historic Landmarks. One that often gets overlooked is tucked away on a breathtaking property in Cass County. It tells the tale of Iowa providing sanctuary for runaway slaves during one of the darkest periods of American history.
One of the most underrated places in the Hawkeye State is the tiny town of Lewis. This Cass County city is home to a historic home and museum that was once a stop along the Underground Railroad.
The beautiful Hitchcock House is just west of the city of Lewis, overlooking the banks of the East Nishnabotna River. It was built in 1855 by Reverend George B. Hitchcock and soon became a stop on the Underground Railroad.
After Hitchcock's death, the estate was used as a farm, and eventually donated to the State. Today, you can visit the Hitchcock House museum and learn about the Underground Railroad movement and how slaves were freed.
The home has been restored and shows off a modest mid 19th century lifestyle. Hitchcock's dining room is set like it would have been in the 1850s, and shows off the famed Midwestern hospitality.
If you take a tour of the house, you'll also see the hidden basement, which was used to keep slaves safe from the police that wanted to return them to their old lives.
The Hitchcock House also sits right along the Mormon Trail, and you can visit a marker that explains how Brigham Young brought thousands with him from Illinois to Salt Lake City.
