Michigan City, located in northern Indiana on the shores of Lake Michigan, was a major grain port for Indiana farmers in 1840s. By 1852, the Michigan Central Railroad linked the town to eastern markets bringing major industry to the town. Some Michigan City citizens of this era offered aid to slaves escaping through the Underground Railroad, helping to pass them along to Michigan or to Canada.
Image: Illustrated Historical Atlas of Indiana (Baskin, Forster and Company, 1876; Reprinted, Indiana Historical Society, 1968)
