Oberlin Underground Railroad's Center will permanently exhibit the gravestone of Lee Howard Dobbins:
One of the most compelling artifacts, currently being held for the City in Special Collections at Oberlin College, is a gravestone of a four year old escaped slave. In March of 1853, a slave woman named Miriam arrived in Oberlin from Kentucky, with her entire family including her children and gran
dchildren and a sickly four-year-old foster child named Lee Howard Dobbins. Miriam had fled her master in a desperate attempt to save her daughters, whom she had learned were going to be sold. By the time they arrived in Oberlin, little Lee Howard was extremely ill. Miriam and the rest of her family couldn't afford to wait for his convalescence and since she and her family were the only slaves their master owned, he was no doubt in hot and angry pursuit. A family in Oberlin promised to care for the child, and Miriam and her children were safely delivered to Canada, where her brother was awaiting them. The whole town mourned his death and a thousand people were reportedly crammed into First Church for his funeral, where all grieved not only the loss of this child, but the horrors of slavery. The collection at the funeral was used to buy this gravestone for him. The stone has weathered badly, and so it was put in the Oberlin College Library Special Collections for safekeeping in 1938, until the City had a permanent place to display it. When the Oberlin Underground Railroad Center opens, this will be its first permanent exhibit. The Inscription reads:
Let slavery perish! LEE HOWARD DOBBINS
a fugitive Slave orphan. Brought here by an
adopted mother in her
flight for liberty
MAR. 17, 1853
left here wasted with
consumption, found
a refuge in death
MAR. 26, 1853
Aged 4 Years
