Freedom Trail Commission Papers

Collection — Box: 1-6

Identifier: 2012.005

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection documents the activities of Ruth Rosenberg-Naparsteck on the Freedom Trail Commission. The bulk of the materials relate to the process of creating guidebooks. The online and printed guide for the Freedom Trail initiatives were integral to the project and offered proper methods for evaluating sources for documenting the Underground Railroad. It offered strategies for educators and researchers for assessing evidence and potential sources.

Other materials in the collection include correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, drafts, and information regarding markers and monuments. It also documents more general events related to the Freedom Trail throughout New York State.

Dates

Creation: 1977-2004
Creation: Majority of material found within 2000-2004

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restriction regarding access to or use of this collection.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish, reproduce, distribute, or use in any current or future manifestation must be obtained in writing from the Rochester Public Library, Local History and Genealogy Division. Intellectual property rights, including copyright may belong to the authors or their legal heirs or assigns. Users are solely responsible for determining the copyright status of any materials they wish to use, to investigate the owner of the copyright, and to obtain permission for their intended use.

Historical Note

The objective of the commission was to locate, designate, and preserve sites in the Rochester community that were noteworthy to the operation of the Underground Railroad. The Freedom Trail documented the Underground Railroad, which from 1830 to 1860, through an active network and secret system of networks, assisted enslaved people to freedom. There were also efforts to establish an educational program for the Underground Railroad and instructional curriculum instructing students aiding fugitive slaves to freedom.

The New York State Freedom Trail Program Act was effective on September 10, 1997. The Rochester and Monroe County Freedom Trail Commission was approved on April 13, 2000. The objectives were to advise the Mayor of Rochester on the selection, documentation, protection, and preservation of sites to the Underground Railroad. The commission was also to take the lead in developing educational programs, as well as establish linkages with counterparts at the federal and state levels with others commissions and programs engaged in research and advocacy.

The commission consisted of 15 members; the Mayor of Rochester and the County Executive made the initial appointments. All the members were required to demonstrate interest in Underground Railroad matters. The members of the committee were:

David A. Anderson

Hanif Abdul-Wahid

Dr. William J. Daniels

Ed Hall

Reverand Errol E. Hunt

Emerson C. Klees

Marilyn M. Patterson-Grant

Ruth Rosenberg-Naparsteck

Victoria Schmitt

Robert Snead

Dr. Carolyn Vacca

Dr. John S, Walker

Both the online and printed guide for the Freedom Trail initiatives were integral to the project and offered proper methods for evaluating sources for documenting the Underground Railroad. It offered strategies for educators and researchers for assessing evidence and potential sources. Another aspect of this project was to establish an accessible repository for learners and researchers to collect, preserve and access this material.

Extent

2 Cubic Feet (6 document boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

This collection consists of the papers related to Ruth Rosenberg-Naparsteck's time on the Freedom Trail Commission. The materials date between 1977 and 2004, with a bulk of the materials dated between 2000 and 2004. The records are comprised of printed materials, newspaper clippings, publicity, publication proofs, and drafts. The bulk of the materials are correspondence and guide book development.

Arrangement

This collection consists of six boxes divided into seven series:

Series I: Correspondence, 1999-2004

Series II: Education Curriculum, 1999-2004

Series III: Guide books, 2000-2004

Series IV: Meeting Minutes, 1999-2003

Series V: Monuments and Markers, 2000-2004

Series VI: Research, 1989-2004

Series VII: Miscellaneous, 1977-2004

Physical Location

Rundel Memorial Building, 2nd, Shared Stacks, 2nd floor [Range: R, Shelf: 7]

Custodial History

Ruth Rosenberg-Naparsteck was a member of the Freedom Trial Commission and this collection is a result of Rosenberg-Naparsteck’s work on the Commission. She was independently assigned and received no financial remuneration.

Processing Information

Printed materials with more than three identical copies were discarded. Each folder is organized chronologically by the earliest folder date but where there was a clear organizational structure, that structure was maintained.