February 19th, 2026
Historian Mike Dixon: The Underground Railroad in Cecil County
During a special Black History Month edition of Cecil TV, historian Mike Dixon joined host Rob Chirnside to explore Cecil County’s crucial role in the Underground Railroad. Dixon explained that the county’s proximity to the Mason-Dixon Line made it a key passage for freedom seekers escaping slavery in Maryland, Delaware, and points farther south.
Because Pennsylvania lay just a few miles north, Cecil County became a vital corridor on the journey to freedom. Escaping enslaved people often traveled through the area, despite the constant threat of slave catchers operating along the border. Dixon noted that while famous figures such as Frederick Douglass passed through the region, many stories remain untold, reflecting a deeper and still-emerging history of local resistance and escape.
He emphasized that the Underground Railroad was not an actual railroad, but a network of helpers and safe routes. Cecil County’s geography made it a “cornerstone” of that network, particularly for those traveling north from the Eastern Shore, southern Maryland, or Virginia.
Dixon also highlighted several local sites now recognized by the National Park Service’s Network to Freedom program, including locations in Perryville, Elk Neck, Cecilton, and St. Augustine Episcopal Church near the Bohemia River. At St. Augustine, he described an early freedom story from 1777, when enslaved men joined British forces during the Revolutionary War in exchange for promised emancipation, eventually leaving the area for Nova Scotia.
The interview underscored that while the county’s Underground Railroad history includes well-known figures, many local accounts are still being researched and shared. As Black History Month continues, Dixon encouraged residents to visit exhibits and historic sites to better understand the region’s role in the struggle for freedom.
