The FAU Libraries have received another generous gift from Mr. Hugh W. Ripley.

Finding that students in his American history classes “were inclined to be restless and inattentive, [Wilbur H. Siebert] decided to arouse their interest over a mysterious and romantic subject that was rich in adventure.”

The Wilbur H. Siebert Collection contains correspondence, notes, manuscripts, student papers, maps, and photographs related to the Underground Railroad. Research material includes the responses generated by his seven-question survey and copies and notes from a wide variety of sources: books; diaries; letters; photographs; newspaper articles; biographies and memoirs; state, county, and local histories; annual reports; trial records; U.S. and Canadian census reports; legislation; and Congressional speeches. Siebert also conducted interviews with Underground Railroad agents and former fugitive slaves. He organized his research by state and county, eventually binding his notes in volumes according to the location of the Underground Railroad station or activity. The collection contains bound and unbound volumes of Siebert’s research. Read More>>

Find the collection in the library: Boca Raton Microfilm (non-circulating) E450.S577. Browse pictures from the Wilbur H. Siebert Underground Railroad Collection at OhioPix.