Portrait of Henson
This file appears in: Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site
The story of Eliza Harris is intertwined with that of Josiah Henson, though whether the two individuals every met will never be known. Henson escaped from slavery with his family in 1830 where they escaped on foot through the states of Indiana and Ohio. They crossed into Canada via boat. Henson dedicated most of his free life to establishing the free black community of Dawn in the Chatham-Kent area of Ontario.
This file appears in: Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site
Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site
Though we cannot be sure exactly where Eliza Harris and her child ended up in Canada, we may have one clue. Levi Coffin wrote in his book that he and his wife, Catharine, visited Canada West in the Windsor and Chatham area east of Detroit, Michigan…