DID YOU KNOW THAT ? 

February 2, 1827 - John P. Parker, abolitionist and businessman, was born enslaved in Norfolk, Virginia. Parker was purchased by a physician who taught him to read and write and in 1845 was able to purchase his freedom for $1,800. Soon after, he began his career as a conductor on the Underground Railroad. It is estimated that he assisted in removing 1,000 enslaved people from bondage. In 1854, Parker built a foundry in Ripley, Ohio which at its peak employed 25 people. Parker died January 30, 1900. The John P. Parker Historical Society in Ripley and the John P. Parker School in Cincinnati, Ohio are named in his honor. His autobiography, “His Promised Land: The Autobiography of John P. Parker, Former Slave and Conductor on the Underground Railroad,” was published in 1996.