Actually, in fact there was a branch of the Underground Railroad in Quincy, Illinois, just to the northeast of Hannibal. According to Glennette Tilley Turner's remarkable work, "The Underground Railroad in Illinois" (Glen Ellyn, Ill.: Newman Educational Publishing, 2001), the Everett House at 801 N. Twelfth in Quincy "was thought to have had a tunnel running from its sub-basement to the Mississippi River. . . . Cubbyholes, hidden rooms, and trap doors were believed to have been used as UGRR hiding places." (p. 180.) Once a slave had safely arrived in Quincy, he/she would then be transported via UGRR stations in Mendon, Plymouth, Galesburg, Princeton, and Ottawa, Illinois, ultimately ending up in Chicago and thence to Canada (p. 165). I think, however, that an earlier point is well-taken. This is a work of fiction, not an historical narrative. Good luck with your class. Best regards, Jim Edstrom Harper College, Palatine, Illinois P.S. Glennette Tilley Turner has a wonderful website concerning the Underground Railroad in Illinois, which you can find at http://www.ugrr-illinois.com/.