The Jordan House

[Abby Brown] In the mid-1850s, just a few years after Iowa became a state, Polk County was home to a famous rule-maker, who also became a rule breaker, all for the sake of protecting a very important secret.

(Map marking Polk County in the central part of the state.)

This is the Jordan House. It was built in 1850. It's one of the oldest structures in Polk County.

(The Jordan House is a two-story, wood-frame house that is painted ivory with dark green shutters. The side of the house that is showing has two doors with a door and a small balcony above. On the second floor there are three square windows to the right of the small balcony and one to the left. There is a wooden spindle balcony and handrail that runs the length of the second floor in front of the three square windows. On the first floor, there are three rectangular windows, a green bench and three green rocking chairs to the right of the front doors.)

As one of the first settlers in Polk County, James Jordan built this house. He was a cattle farmer, a politician, and a powerful businessman who helped people in a lot of different ways.

(A portrait of James Jordan. He has short, dark hair that is parted on the left and is brushed over to the right. He has a full, thick beard and mustache. In the portrait, he is wearing a black suit jacket, a white shirt and a black tie.)

He was also an abolitionist, someone who worked to abolish, or end, slavery. His property was a stop on the Underground Railroad.

The Underground Railroad wasn't underground and it wasn't a railroad. It was a series of secret stops where Freedom Seekers could rest along their journey. The words Underground Railroad were just a different way of saying secret routes. Inside the Jordan House visitors can take a step back in time and see how James Jordan and his family lived.

This map shows the routes Freedom Seekers took as they traveled through the free state of Iowa.

(A map shows Iowa bordered by Missouri to the south and the Nebraska Territory to the west. The Kansas Territory is located south of the Nebraska Territory and west of Missouri. A curved arrow begins in Missouri, moves into the Kansas Territory, Nebraska Territory and then into and across Iowa to the Mississippi River.)

But why didn't they just stay in Iowa, it was a free state right?

It's a tough piece of history to make sense of, but it's because of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.

It was a law that said even in a free state it's illegal to help Freedom Seekers, and that enslaved people attempting to escape should be returned to their owners, sometimes for a lot of money. So at that time here in Iowa, Freedom Seekers were still in danger of being captured and returned to slavery.

And the rule breakers like James Jordan, were also in danger of being found out as helpers.

Here on James Jordan's land, Freedom Seekers would have hid in outbuildings, or in the fields, or among these trees, which have been cut down now, but they would have been enormous.

(A slight rise, a distance from the house, covered in tall prairie grass. From the hill, slightly behind a tree, a side door on the Jordan House is seen between two tall trees.)

Freedom Seekers would not have hid in the house.

Women, including James Jordan's wife, Cynthia, would create care packages for them with things like food and clothing.

Freedom Seekers were smart and so brave, the journey was long and challenging, but worth the chance to escape slavery.

This house and the grounds around it held a secret that was an important part of our history, right here in Polk County.

Funding for FIND Iowa has been provided by The Coons Foundation, Pella and the Gilchrist Foundation