Family Fun Sundays: Children's Tea with Delia Webster

Delia Webster was a teacher and conductor on the Underground Railroad. Her real passion was for aiding freedom seekers who wanted a better life. Delia was born Dec. 17, 1817 in Vergennes, Vermont. Well educated, she began teaching classes at the tender age of 12 to some of the younger students at the same school she attended, Vergennes Classical School. She settled in Lexington, Ky in July 1843 and took charge of running the Lexington Academy while slowly becoming involved in the Underground Railroad. An incident occurred in 1844 which made her a house-hold name at the time. She and Rev. Calvin Fairbank plotted to aid Lewis Hayden and his family to escape slavery. Their plot worked for the Haydens, but Delia and Fairbank were caught and tried separately. For his part, Fairbank received 15 years. Delia was convicted of “slave stealing” and sentenced to two years of hard labor in the state penitentiary. Her case attracted national attention as no one wanted to see a woman imprisoned. She eventually returned to helping freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad. She settled in Trimble County where many slaves vanished and local farmers tried to run her out of town, destroying her property and threatening her life. She was briefly imprisoned in the Trimble County jail in 1854 for assisting in slave escapes. niece in Des Moines, Iowa. On Sunday, February 11, the Oldham County History Center will introduce visitors to Delia through a new program, Family Fun Sundays. Participants can enjoy Children’s Tea with Delia Webster at 1 p.m. $15 per person, reservations required by calling (502) 222-0826.