07/13/2025
The Kirker Family Homestead, 1 of 31 new NTF sites, boasts a hefty history of Underground Railroad involvement. Like other sites and histories involved in the Underground Railroad, the Kirker family’s participation in assisting Freedom Seekers has been mostly recognized by the man of the household, Gov. Thomas Kirker. However, the Kirker family, consisting of Thomas and Sarah and their 13 children, were all integral to the aiding Freedom Seekers.
Sarah Kirker was the mother of the 13 children in the Kirker homestead. Sarah’s involvement in aiding Freedom Seekers who came to their farm would have consisted of caring for, clothing, and concealing them. Passing on her anti-slavery faith to her children, the Kirker daughters continued in their mother’s footsteps, with four of them marrying abolitionists in Ripley, Ohio.
Daughters Sarah and Jane Kirker married Robert Poage, the son of the Ripley’s founder, and Daniel B. Evans, respectively. Jane Poage and the brothers-in-law were involved in escorting the woman who’s known today as Eliza Harris and her family members to the Rankin House.
Margaret and Martha Kirker married brothers Dr. Alfred Beasley and Dr. Franklin (Benjamin) Beasley, respectively. The Beasley family was known for their Underground Railroad activities in Ripley.
With the four Kirker daughters participating in Ripley’s Underground Railroad, the connections between Adams and Brown Counties were strengthened.
Make sure you catch the Kirker Family Homestead dedication ceremony on July 10th!
The Appalachian Freedom Heritage Tourism Initiative is made possible in part by a POWER Grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission and is led by the Lawrence Economic Development Corporation.
