Watkins Lake State Park & County Preserve now a Network to Freedom site

Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve

submitted by Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation

The Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission (WCPARC) is pleased to announce that Watkins Lake State Park & County Preserve has been accepted as a site in the Network to Freedom program through the National Park Service (NPS) for its connection to the Underground Railroad. It is the first WCPARC facility included in the program, whose mission is to “honor, preserve and promote the history of resistance to enslavement through escape and flight, which continues to inspire people worldwide.”

In partnership with the State of Michigan, WCPARC protects the former farmland where self-emancipated John Felix White was nearly captured in a kidnapping attempt. Through the heroic efforts of former landowner, Royal Watkins, among others, White was able to continue his life of freedom. John Felix White died in 1905 and is buried in Fairview Cemetery in Ann Arbor.

Read a detailed account of the incident here.

Recognition by NPS would not have been possible without community member dedication, most importantly historian Carol E. Mull, who submitted the program application on behalf of WCPARC and the State of Michigan.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.