Iowa Families:

The Myths and Legends

Engineers on the Underground Railroad

By Arlene Christensen

My grandmother, Opha Mae Kilgore,( 1870-1971) and her father, Joseph Martin Kilgore,(1843-1895) were on the underground railroad and helped slaves escape. They lived in Washington, Iowa. They had a swinging panel behind the head board of one of their beds and would hide the slaves there until they could be moved to the next stop.