Treasure Chest Thursday -- Beginning an inventory, Part 4

©The Estate of R.A. Newton, 2011

This morning I again looked through the first box of items from my Dad's legacy. I found a faded envelope, measuring 7 1/2" x 5 1/2". Inside, to my surprise, was a group of black and white photos, 2 3/4" square. There, before my eyes, were the prints of the Pumpelly Mansion...the main house. In Tuesday's post, I shared the painting Dad did of the shutters of the stone out house in the woods on the mansion grounds...part of the Underground Railroad.

©The Estate of R.A. Newton, 2011

This wasn't the first time I have seen these prints since Dad's death in 2004. The first time, shortly after returning home from Massachusetts, I queried the Tioga County Historical Society about the Pumpelly family.

--- On Fri, 11/14/08, debnc_famhist07@charter.net <debnc_famhist07@charter.net> wrote:

From: debnc_famhist07@charter.net <debnc_famhist07@charter.net>
Subject: Pumpelly family/Underground Railroad/Owego
To: edniz@prodigy.net
Date: Friday, November 14, 2008, 5:08 PM

Hi, Ed.

I received your voicemail this afternoon. Thank you for calling!

I grew up in Vestal, and my dad was the Art teacher at Apalachin Middle School

from 1966-1979. As a child, I remember going with him to the ruins of the

Pumpelly mansion, where he did some sketches for a painting, which I recently

acquired.

The painting is of the shutters of a stone house in the woods, off to the left

behind the mansion ruins. This was most likely not the Gurgon Pumpelly house

built in 1879 along a stream, but I assume, his father's house (Frederick H.

Pumpelly). It was off the highway, not on a street.

The stone building was used as the hiding place for runaway slaves on the

Underground Railroad.

I have traced the Pumpelly lineage, but I am interested in finding out anything

I can about the Underground Railroad in the area, esp. related to Pumpelly.

What sources do you advise using?

Thanks for any help you might be able to offer.

Debra Newton-Carter

Asheville, NC

©The Estate of R.A. Newton, 2011

Debra,

Nice to contact you. I have looked at the ruins of the home, but didn't see the stone house. There is also a cabin nearby that looks like the genuine item from the early 1800's. It has been modernized. What information do you have showing a connection between the Pumpelly's and the UGRR? I came across a reference to the Pumpelly's owning slaves. This doesn't mean that they couldn't have become abolitionists at a later date.

I'll pass your email on to the county historical society. They may know something that I don't. I have an article online about the UGRR and abolition. Did you see this?

Now that I have found the photos, perhaps I will attempt to contact Mr. Nizalowski with a link to these photos . . .

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Root DiggerAugust 18, 2011 at 8:52 PM
Interesting...The plot thickens.
Debra Newton-CarterAugust 29, 2011 at 2:25 PM
If anyone on the Memories of Owego, NY Facebook Page would like to contact me about this post, please feel free to post a comment, or contact me via email. I'm interested in finding out anything else I can about the history of this property.

In Black and White: Cross-Cultural Genealogy

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