Oral history, rumors, myths and urban legends all have their role to play  in 
local history. Okay, so 9 out of 10 such tales prove to be wrong. The problem 
 we are having here is that the test methodology requires agreeing on a line 
of  evidence that would satisfy the skeptics. Several people have reported 
rooms  with quilts, broken pottery, and architectural tunnels. The real question 
is  what would make these items distinctive of the underground railroad? I had 
the  same skepticism about the story ten years ago that quilt patterns like 
the  "Drunkard's Path" could be proven to say anything about escaping slaves, 
as the  pattern can be found in trunks just about anywhere in America. So, here 
is the  challenge. How to establish a testable hypothesis with a line of 
convincing  evidence pro or con on the subject?
 
Ron May
Legacy 106, Inc.