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May 6, 2021 · Thornton and Lucie (Ruthie) Blackburn, freedom seekers, entrepreneurs, anti-slavery activists and community benefactors (Thornton, born c. 1812 in Maysville, Kentucky; died in 1890 in Toronto, ON. Lucie, born c. 1803, possibly in the West Indies; died in 1895 in Toronto).
Lucie "Ruthie" Blackburn (1803–1895) was a self-emancipated West-Indian, American former slave who escaped to Canada with her husband Thornton Blackburn and helped him establish the first taxi company in Toronto.
In 1834, Thornton reunited with his wife Lucie in the newly incorporated City of Toronto, where he worked as a waiter at Osgoode Hall. Together, they lived on Eastern Avenue for the next half century. Thornton created Toronto's first taxi service in 1837, named "The City".
Feb 9, 2022 · In 1831, Thornton and Lucie Blackburn escaped from slavery by fleeing from Kentucky to Michigan, via the Underground Railroad. But, two years later, they were recaptured and jailed in Detroit. In the wake of their arrest, Detroit’s Black community advocated for their release.
Born 1923 in Missouri, Daniel Hill obtained a BA from Howard University before attending the University of Toronto for his M.A. and Ph.D, bringing his future wife, Donna Mae Bender with him.
Separated from his mother at a young age, Blackburn was forced to work as a child, including driving carriages and working as a porter. As a teenager, Thornton met “Ruthie” (later known as Lucie), an enslaved, Caribbean-born woman who was working as a nursemaid.
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Remarkably, Thornton discovered his brother Alfred living in Toronto, and he courageously returned to Kentucky to rescue their mother, Sibby. Today, Thornton and Lucie Blackburn are recognized as Persons of National Historic Significance in Canada, with a federal heritage plaque located in Toronto.
