The 2026 Heritage Gathering is an annual conference for individuals, organizations and communities interested in our state’s Underground Railroad heritage. Sandra Clark, the director of the Michigan History Center, talks about the variety of opportunities for learning and networking through keynote speakers, workshops and presentations for all who are interested in the history of the Underground Railroad in Battle Creek, Michigan.
“This is something we do every year with a group called the Michigan Freedom Trail Commission,” Clark says. “It’s a State, governor-appointed group dedicated to learning about the Underground Railroad and sharing information about it.”
Although the Michigan History Center has been doing the Heritage Gathering for many years, this will be the first time that the event will be offered in Battle Creek. The event is usually held in Lansing or Detroit.
“Battle Creek has a very important part to play in this story,” Clark says. “It’s on one of the core routes that people took. The Underground Railroad isn’t absolutely firm—people went here and then went there—but Battle Creek was really a center of opposition to slavery … there are some very well-known cases associated with Battle Creek.”
While those who helped escaping slaves were strictly prosecuted, Clark says the Battle Creek area population was pretty open-minded for the time. That included the Quaker farmers living just south of the city, frequently available to help.
“Everybody knew who was helping freedom seekers,” she says. “A lot of people were involved.”
Presentations at the Heritage Gathering will expound on various cases and how people were helped.
The 2026 Heritage Gathering is taking place at Kellogg Community College at 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 12, in Battle Creek. Tickets that include lunch are now sold out, but anyone can attend (bring your own lunch) the presentations at no cost. Learn more about the event here.
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