Monument Unveiled
On Monday, more than 300 people were on hand for the unveiling of the Elizabeth Hamer monument at Hamer Finch Wilkins Park.
In August 1856, Elizabeth and her husband Henry escaped from slavery. They crossed the Ohio River from Covington, Kentucky, to Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati was known for helping people escape slavery. Even though the journey was dangerous, they made it safely to Windsor, Ontario. By 1860, Elizabeth and Henry were living in Royal Oak Township, which is now the City of Royal Oak. They worked hard and saved enough money to buy five acres of land. Henry worked on farms, and Elizabeth took care of the house and helped deliver babies as a midwife. They were loved by their community. Today, some of their descendants still own a part of the land they bought in Royal Oak.
There are no known photographs of Henry so only Elizabeth was sculpted by artist Austen Brantley. (Brantley is shown in the photo on the right with Mayor Michael Fournier.)