Taylor, Frances Cloud (3 results)

Saddle-stapled wraps. Condition: Near Fine. First Edition. Signed and inscribed by the author on the title page. 36pp., in cream printed wraps, with b/w reproductions. Near Fine.

First Edition. Signed by author on title page. Octavo. Staple-bound pamphlet; printed thick paper wrappers; 36pp; illus. Includes bibliography. Faint foxing to title page, else Fine. Brief, illustrated historical guide to Chester County landmarks on the Underground Railroad.

Wraps. Condition: Very good. Presumed First Edition/First Printing. vi, 82 pages, plus covers. Illustrations. Map. Footnotes. Bibliography. Signed by author on title page. Cover has slight wear and soiling. The Underground Railroad was a network of secret routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early-to-mid 19th century, and used by African-American slaves to escape into free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists, both black and white, free and enslaved, who aided the fugitives. Various other routes led to Mexico or overseas. An earlier escape route running south toward Florida, then a Spanish possession, existed from the late 17th century until shortly after the American Revolution. However, the network now generally known as the Underground Railroad was formed in the late 1700s, and reached its height between 1850 and 1860. One estimate suggests that by 1850, 100,000 slaves had escaped via the "Railroad". British North America (present-day Canada), where slavery was prohibited, was a popular destination, as its long border gave many points of access. Most former slaves settled in Ontario. More than 30,000 people were said to have escaped there via the network during its 20-year peak period, although U.S. Census figures account for only 6,000. Numerous fugitives' stories are documented in the 1872 book The Underground Railroad Records by William Still, an abolitionist who then headed the Philadelphia Vigilance Committee. Kennett Square is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is known as the Mushroom Capital of the World because mushroom farming in the region produces over a million pounds of mushrooms a week. To celebrate this heritage, Kennett Square has an annual Mushroom Festival, where the town shuts down to have a parade, tour mushroom farms, and buy and sell food and other goods. The area to become known as Kennett Square was originally inhabited by the Lenape Native Americans. The town was originally called Kennet Square, with the name "Kennet", England, and "Square" coming from the original land grant from William Penn of one square mile. General Sir William Howe marched through Kennett to the Battle of Brandywine during the American Revolution. It was also known as an important part of the Underground Railroad that helped slaves escaping to the North for freedom. Many of its prominent citizens helped slaves escape on the Underground Railroad. In 1853, a group asked for Kennett Square to be incorporated, and by 1855 it held elections. Kennett Square's founder is credited with introducing mushroom growing to the area. He grew carnations, a popular local commodity around 1885, and wanted to make use of the wasted space under the elevated beds. He imported spawn from Europe and started experimenting with mushroom cultivation. Kennett Square is the subject and setting of the novel The Story Of Kennett, written by 19th-century American author Bayard Taylor, who lived nearby at Cedarcroft.