Cycling the Underground Railroad--Part 2

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 DAY 20:  BRITTON TO ROMULUS, MI

I discovered this mural on the building where I found the marker for Elijah McCoy and the statue of Harriet Tubman in Ypsilanti.  It would have been easy to miss,  as there was a parking lot between the historical plaques and this art.   But the colors drew my eyes to it.

The painting seems to depict the migration of blacks, both slave (notice the broken chains) and free (the well-dressed people at the bottom right). In some ways, it's a picture of the Underground Railroad.

It was 50 degrees, windy and rainy when I pulled out of Kyle and Amanda's driveway--and it remained that way throughout the duration of the ride.  I had brought warmer cycling clothes and rain gear with me, but this--the second to the last day of the United States part of this adventure--was the first time I used all of them.  I've been blessed with nice weather for the last 3 weeks. 
         The Huron River, east of Ypsilanti.

The first stop today was in Ann Arbor.  This route took me right through the University of Michigan, with Blue and Maize (that's what they call yellow) in abundance.   A couple of blocks off the main street I found the sign marking the place of the establishment of the Michigan Antislavery Society. 

The storm of the last few days had felled many trees and disabled a couple of bridges, so progress was slowed by detours and the need to re-navigate my way.

In Ypsilanti, I had to hunt, but I found the items I was looking for in a small parklet behind a streetside fountain on the city's main drag.  I now know where the phrase "the real McCoy" originated.  Elijah McCoy, son of a slave, invented the lubrication system used for early industrial machinery.  He was Canadian born in 1843, indicating his parents were most likely "passengers" on the Underground. 

In the same small garden, there is this statue of Harriet Tubman. 

What is amazing about this woman (among many things) was the geographic scope of her work, ranging from Tennessee to Ontario, Canada.


Today's mileage:  50.0
Total mileage this trip:  848.7
Total on the Underground Railroad:
     1,964.0

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