The Underground Railroad Station in Ridgefield, with Jack Sanders

Learn about Uncle Ned and Aunt Betsey Armstrong, a popular African American couple who ran a “station” on the Underground Railroad in Ridgebury, near the top of a hill still called Ned’s Mountain.

Two of their Ridgefield-born grandchildren went on to fight slavery via the Civil War, and one became among the last victims of the conflict.

Uncle Ned was “a man who devoted a life to an idea, the freedom of his colored brothers of the South,” said an 1879 article in The New York Tribune. “So well did he plan and execute that, to this day, … near neighbors only knew ‘Uncle Ned’ and ‘Aunt Betsey’ as good, kind colored people, handy to have around to assist with the house or farm work.”

An editor of The Ridgefield Press for 45 years, Jack Sanders has written many articles and columns about the town’s history, as well as four books. His website, RidgefieldHistory.com, has a large collection of his writings on Ridgefield’s place names and notable residents and offers a detailed timeline of Ridgefield history over three centuries. He also maintains the Old Ridgefield group on Facebook, which has 3,000 followers.

This event will be held in person at the Ridgefield Library, and registration is required.  Please register here:

https://ridgefieldlibrary.librarymarket.com/events/person-underground-railroad-station-ridgefield-jack-sanders