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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). After a dramatic flight from Kentucky slavery, their recapture in Detroit ...
Lucie Blackburn. Born. 1803. Died. 1895. Toronto, Canada. 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. [1][2]
Thornton and Lucie Blackburn were freedom seekers who fled enslavement in Kentucky and established the first taxi business in Upper Canada. The Blackburns, whose story was lost and only re-discovered in 1985, were born enslaved in the United States. Almost extradited after escaping to Canada,
Thornton and Lucie escaped from Louisville to Michigan in 1831. They had been living there for two years when, in 1833, Kentucky slave hunters located, re-captured, and arrested the couple. [2] The Blackburns were jailed but were allowed visitors, which provided the opportunity for Lucie to exchange her clothes and her incarceration with Mrs. George French. [4]
Feb 9, 2022 · In 1985, an archaeological dig in downtown Toronto led to the discovery of the remains of the Blackburns’ house, where they had lived for over 50 years. In 1999, Thornton and Lucie Blackburn were designated as “persons of national historic significance” by the Government of Canada.
In 1837, Thornton and Lucie established Toronto’s first taxicab service, called The City, which was a horse-drawn cab with one horse and a carriage painted yellow with red trim (the future colour scheme of the TTC). The Blackburns were also deeply involved in their new community, donating to civic building projects and helping freedom seekers arriving in Canada.
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This policy became more widely understood after the famous Blackburn case of 1833. Lucie (originally known as Ruthie) Blackburn was born enslaved in approximately 1803, reputedly somewhere in the Caribbean, and died in Toronto in 1895; Thornton Blackburn was born in approximately 1812 in Maysville, Kentucky, and died in Toronto in 1895.
