The Finney House once stood in downtown Detroit near Griswold and Grand River Streets. Seymour Finney was a former New Yorker who caine to Detroit in 1834. He built the Finney House Barn in 1846. As a “Conductor” on the Underground Railroad, his Finney Barn became a major stop or “Station” on the secret railroad to freedom. From this stop, many escaping slaves could secretly cross the Detroit River to safety in Canada. They could travel to nearby Black settlements in Chatham, Dresden, North Buxton or to Amherstburg, Ontario. Others may have traveled to settlements near Niagara Falls, Ontario. |
