The National Park Service’s National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom added the Israel and Avis Blodgett House to the Network in 2023. The Israel and Avis Blodgett House is the home of Underground Railroad conductors from 1840-1861. Israel and Avis Blodgett moved to Illinois in 1830-1831. They settled at Downers Grove and built a Greek Revival House that became the center of their Underground Railroad operations. Primary sources document the story of their assistance to freedom seekers, including how Israel covertly transported freedom seekers to Chicago. The antislavery newspaper, Western Citizen, also connects Israel’s involvement with abolitionists and other Underground Railroad activists. Today, the house stands near its original location and has been open to the public as a historic house museum since 2020.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service