The Roanoke Canal

The Roanoke Canal, Roanoke River, and Historic Halifax were all part of the Underground Railroad’s complex transportation network.

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Freedom Seekers would use the flowing rapids and steep banks of the Roanoke River to elude their pursuers.

The Roanoke Navigation Canal’s location near the river and Halifax also made it an integral part of the escape routes.

Slaves sometimes even escaped from the canal building camps headed towards freedom.

When Freedom Seekers reached the town of Halifax, the large community of free blacks often concealed those seeking freedom or helped them on their way further north.

Weldon Riverfront

Weldon has a rich history including the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad, a Confederate cemetery, and the Roanoke Canal Trail.

The city's historic riverfront, on the Roanoke River, is thought to be the site where many Freedom Seekers looked for transport toward the Great Dismal Swamp or the Albemarle Sound.

Historic Halifax

The town of Halifax and, more importantly, the nearby Roanoke River played a vital role in the maritime Underground Railroad in North Carolina.

Taverns, print shops, and docks served as major sources of information crucial to the success or failure of a Freedom Seeker’s journey.

Free blacks and sympathetic whites also provided the latest news, acted as a means of communication for secret activities, and helped conceal the identities and hiding places of Freedom Seekers.

For example, a community of anti-slavery Quakers lived across the Roanoke River from Halifax.

An 1830 newspaper article reported that they helped more than 600 persons of color from North Carolina leave the state.

The river also played a major role in communications between free and enslaved African American communities, as black boatmen plied the waters spreading information to people along its banks.

The river also provided protection from “pattyrollers” or slave patrols and helped speed the Freedom Seeker’s escape to urban areas, swamps, the sounds, open seas, and, eventually, points northward.