“An Illustrated Guide to the Underground Railroad in Oakland County” is available at the library.
By: Mary Genson | Birmingham-Bloomfield Eagle | Published March 10, 2026
BIRMINGHAM — Birmingham Museum Director Leslie Pielack has published a user-friendly guide that documents local history of the Underground Railroad. The book, “An Illustrated Guide to the Underground Railroad in Oakland County,” can be found at the Baldwin Public Library, among other places.
The book has been in development since late 2024.
“It was more than a year of gathering, organizing, adding research, updating, double-checking resources and then doing all of the final layout and arrangement that resulted in the 80-page book that it is,” Pielack said.
The full-color guide is made up of primary sources, links, photos, maps and illustrations. It also includes the biographical narratives of 28 abolitionists and 28 freedom seekers who were identified through the 2023-2025 Underground Railroad in Oakland County Public History Project.
Dave Decker, chair of the Oakland County Historical Commission, said the purpose of this project, “was to tell the story of formerly enslaved people coming to Oakland County to seek freedom by going to Canada and then coming back. That’s part of the story. The other part of it is the family stories of people that were formerly enslaved, found family here in Oakland County, whether that’s through friendships or relationships through church, coming to live here and just quietly living their lives as free people.”
For about three years, the research was supported by volunteers from nine historical organizations.
“As we were initially doing the research, we had no idea just how much information we were going to learn,” Pielack said.
Pielack said that as research progressed, it became clear that the information needed to be presented in a book form.
“It offers the public a chance to take it to the next step or to personalize it if they’re doing their own family genealogy, for example,” Pielack said.
Michigan Humanities, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, partly funded this book in addition to the project research, traveling exhibit and website. The Friends of the Birmingham Museum, the Oakland County Historical Commission, and other Oakland County individuals and historical organizations also donated funds.
The book can be found in print at public libraries and school media centers in the county. It can also be found online at ugrr.mioaklandhistory.org and it has been added to the Library of Michigan and Library of Congress collections.
Pielack said they have books available, if people want to donate towards the continuation of the project.
“Through all those various means, we hope that people can find it and that it can be a launch point for them to do additional research or just to learn more about our local history,” Pielack said. “This is an amazing part of our history that has been skipped over in previous years, but now, I feel confident that it’s not going to be skipped over anymore.”