|
Utica, Michigan
Spring Hill Farm
West side of the River
End of Hamlin Rd
Spring Hill Farm is the
location of the "Beacon Tree," which was planted by the Lerich family
and neighbors in 1850. Fugitive slaves were told to look for it 24 miles
north of Detroit City Hall and twelve miles east of Pontiac Courthouse
in Macomb County. The Lerichs fed, clothed and housed the runaways in a
log house in the back of the spring. The family devised a fence for
fugitives to slide down to the spring that emptied into the Clinton
River, in order to more easily throw dogs off the slaves' tracks. The
Lerichs also trafficked these fugitives to other locations on the
Underground Railroad in the family wagon, hidden between bags of hay.
Prior to the Civil War, the Lerichs had many visits from Sojourner Truth
herself, as well as Frederick Douglass and Peter Jaxson.
|
|
The Beacon Tree was cut
down post-1888 for fence posts, as the new owner of the farm did not
know of its historical significance. The land was purchased in 1939 by
heavyweight champion Joe Louis, who established a riding academy on the
site with a restaurant, dance hall and lodge. Louis sold the farm in
1944, which fell into disuse. The farmhouse changed hands several times
after Louis, until it burned down in 1973. The only thing left of the
Lerich farm are a few foundation stones and the remains of several
flower gardens.
|
 A
Michigan Historical Marker for the farm, erected in 2006, stands in
River Bends Park, Shelby Township, that reads: Peter and Sarah Lerich
established Spring Hill Farm in the 1830s. Their daughter Liberetta
wrote in 1923 that her parents, opponents of slavery, had built a hiding
place into a hillside as part of the Underground Railroad. They planted
a prominent cedar, known as "the Beacon Tree" to mark the location.
Liberetta reported that African Americans escaping slavery hid in the
shelter while fleeing. In 1939 World Heavyweight Champion Joe Louis
purchased the 477-acre farm. An avid equestrian, Louis established a
riding academy at the site, complete with a restaurant, dance hall, and
lodge. Here he escaped from the world of boxing to live the life of a
"country squire." Louis sold the farm in 1944, after which the property
fell into disuse. Little of Spring Hill remains today. |
| |
| |
|
Additional Resources
|
|
     
  
   
            
|
