The Daniel Howell Hise House was an important stop on the Underground Railroad as escaping slaves passed though Salem, Ohio, an industrial Quaker community. It was also the home of noted local abolitionist Daniel Howell Hise and his wife Margaret. The Hises were members of the Society of Friends and through Daniel's activism hosted nationally renowned abolitionists including Henry C. Wright, Oliver Johnson, Parker Pillsbury, and Charles C. Burleigh when they visited Salem. Daniel Hise was the son of Aaron Hise a blacksmith and tavern owner, and early Salem settler. Born in 1813, Daniel inherited his father's blacksmithing and entertaining skills. In the 1840s, he became active in the abolition movement. Although witness to the injustices endured by slaves while he was a steamboat engineer in Alabama, it was radical reformer Amos Gilbert who, in Hise's words, "first awakened my thoughts, and gave them a direction." Both Daniel and Margaret were active in the Western Anti-Slavery Society (Daniel served as a member of the Executive Committee), located in Salem. Salem was a prime location for this organization because of the town's high percentage of Quakers and proximity to large concentrations of abolitionists in the surrounding area. Daniel also helped organize Salem's annual Anti-Slavery Fair, and aided various abolition efforts financially.
Daniel Howell Hise House
Photograph by Annie McDonald
The Hise family purchased this one and a half story Gothic Revival farmhouse in the late 1850's. after which they began renovations which included hidden rooms under the house and in an accompanying barn. The Hise House was used as a temporary stop on the Underground Railroad, where fugitive slaves could eat and rest until nightfall, when they could travel to another station. The house and family sheltered numerous runaway slaves, and Daniel was also involved in rescuing slaves that passed through Salem with their owners. The Hise family also used their home to host numerous anti-slavery meetings and provided lodging to visiting abolitionists.
The Daniel Howell Hise House is located at 1100 Franklin Ave., in Salem, Ohio. It is a private residence, and is not open to the public.
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