Sabrina Darnowsky

This past Thursday, I met with the crew of Elwin Studios at the Cincinnati Friends meetinghouse library to talk about the Quaker abolitionist Levi Coffin for their documentary series, Agents of the Underground Railroad.

Elwin Studios is a small production company made up of six brothers and sisters whose diverse skills—including writing, cinematography, and digital design—brought them together to work on a film project that they hope will be educational and inspiring. I myself was inspired by this group of young Canadian entrepreneurs who are drawn to American history and its heroes!

Starting in June, Jocelyn Li and her siblings watched Vancouver fade away in the rear view mirror of their blue pick-up truck as they headed out across our country, eager to experience the world of the operators of the Underground Railroad. They wanted to walk where they walked, and eat where they ate. Little did they know that in Cincinnati, they would have the opportunity to do exactly that! Our beloved Graeter’s Ice Cream company was founded in 1870, when Louis Graeter began selling handcrafted ice cream from his street carts. Levi Coffin didn’t pass away until 1877, so it’s entirely possible that he himself enjoyed this frozen treat!

We lifted a spoon to that!