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| Name | Levi Coffin |
| Birth/Death Dates | 1798-1877 |
| Where in Indiana | Wayne County--Newport ; Wayne County--Fountain City |
| When in Indiana | 1826-1847 |
| Notable For | Coffin was born in North Carolina and moved with his family to Newport (now Fountain City), Indiana, in 1826. He became a leading merchant and miller. In 1844 he began selling only goods not produced by slave labor. He and his wife Catherine (Katie) were active in Indiana's Underground Railroad. Eventually Coffin was known as the President of the Underground Railroad and his home was Grand Central Station. Levi and Catherine helped many slaves escape to Canada and freedom by using the Underground Railroad. In 1847 he moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. |
| Description | It appears the artist drew Coffin's head on a standard body form. |
| Subject | Coffin, Levi, 1798-1877
Underground railroad system
Abolition movement
Abolitionists
Business people
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| Item ID | C8819 |
| Source of Image | Reminiscences of Levi Coffin: the reputed president of the underground railroad. London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington; Cincinnati: Western Tract Society, 1876. (IHS Call Number: E450.C65 A2 1876) |
| Digital Collection | Notable Hoosiers (DC 010) |
| Bibliography/Notes | Information taken from: Indiana: A New Historical Guide, Indiana Historical Society, 1989; and Destination Indiana: Travels Through Hoosier History, Indiana Historical Society, 2000. |
| Copyright Notice | Digital image © 2005 Indiana Historical Society. All Rights Reserved. |
