Lewis Hayden died in Boston on Sunday morning April 7, 1889. His passing was front- page news in the New York Times as well as in the Boston Globe, Boston Herald and Boston Evening Transcript.
Leading nineteenth century reformers attended the funeral including Frederick Douglass, and women’s rights champion Lucy Stone. The Governor of Massachusetts, Mayor of Boston, and Secretary of the Commonwealth felt it important to participate.
Hayden’s was a life of real signifi cance — but few people know of him today. A historical marker at his Beacon Hill home tells part of the story: “A Meeting Place of Abolitionists and a Station on the Underground Railroad.”
Hayden is often described as a “man of action.” An escaped slave, he stood at the center of a struggle for dignity and equal rights in nineteenth century Boston. His story remains an inspiration to those who take the time to learn about it.