Rev. Thomas Holland Boston

Thomas Holland Boston was born in Maryland in 1809. A biographical sketch in the 1888 “Firelands Pioneer” states that he settled in Sandusky in 1839, after his marriage to Amelia Butler. Rev. Boston established the first church for African Americans in Sandusky. For many years, he was the minister of the St. Stephen American Methodist Episcopal Church, which is still in operation on Neil Street in Sandusky.

Rush R. Sloane, author of the 1888 “Firelands Pioneer” article wrote that “Mr. Boston has always been a devoted friend of the slave and his kindly services were always at their disposal.”

Rev. Boston married Susan Bobo following the death of his first wife Amelia. Rev. Thomas Holland Boston died in 1892. He is buried in Sandusky’s Oakland Cemetery.

The "Path to Freedom" sculpture was dedicated at Facer Park in downtown Sandusky on November 11, 2007, honoring the community's involvement in the Underground Railroad.