John Ton

Ton settled on farmland further south on the north bank of the Calumet River that was owned by the Dalton brothers, Charles and Henry.

Illinois was a hotbed having a southern border with slave states and leaders such as Abraham Lincoln advocating the abolition of slavery.

Having achieved a better life for himself in America, John joined with other abolitionists in the area including Cornelius Kuyper, Charles Dyer, the Dalton brothers, and others to establish a "link" in the Underground Railroad.

In 2000, a community group called the Chicago/Calumet Underground Railroad Effort (C/CURE)[3] was established to research and possibly develop the John Ton Farm site.

[4] Following the War in 1867, John sold the farm on the Calumet River and moved to the north side of Roseland to an area known as Fernwood.