A Fall River museum to Black history has its first exhibits, given by a long-lost relative

Dan Medeiros, The Herald News
·3 min read

FALL RIVER — A museum dedicated to slaves' fight for freedom is beginning to take shape in Fall River.

The Preservation Society of Fall River recently acquired priceless family heirlooms from Dr. Isaac Fiske, who during the mid-19th century harbored fugitives escaping slavery in his 263 Pine St. House. They’ll be exhibits in a museum dedicated to the Underground Railroad.

Alex Silva, clerk of the Preservation Society’s board of directors, said a distant relative reached out to the Preservation Society with many antique items once owned by Fiske — though how exactly they connected is “still a little bit of a mystery.”

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Items once owned by Dr. Isaac Fiske of Fall River, including books, family photos, and medical devices, were donated to the Preservation Society of Fall River by a distant relative.
Items once owned by Dr. Isaac Fiske of Fall River, including books, family photos, and medical devices, were donated to the Preservation Society of Fall River by a distant relative.

Who was Dr. Isaac Fiske?

Fiske was a Quaker who studied medicine and taught penmanship for years. He owned a private boarding school in Scituate, Rhode Island, for 10 years, then settled in Fall River to practice medicine as a homeopath. He was also a staunch abolitionist involved in anti-slavery meetings, and used his Pine Street home as a way station for slaves — including, it’s rumored, Henry “Box” Brown, a runaway who had himself mailed in a wooden crate from Virginia to Philadelphia.

His house, built in 1833, is one of four properties the Preservation Society owns as rental property.

Who donated the items for the Underground Railroad museum?

Silva said Bob Walde of Neilburg, Saskatchewan, Canada, is a distant relative of Fiske’s daughter Anna.

“He describes himself as the family historian and the custodian of old family items, so he’s very into genealogy," Silva said.

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Bob Walde of Neilburg, Saskatchewan, Canada holds a picture of the Dr. Isaac Fiske House. Walde is a distant relative of Fiske, a Fall River doctor who harbored fugitives fleeing slavery in the 1860s.
Bob Walde of Neilburg, Saskatchewan, Canada holds a picture of the Dr. Isaac Fiske House. Walde is a distant relative of Fiske, a Fall River doctor who harbored fugitives fleeing slavery in the 1860s.

How did he get in touch with the Preservation Society?

Thank PBS — Walde saw a program on what he believes was Detroit public TV about the Underground Railroad, and the Fiske house was mentioned. He recognized the name and contacted the Preservation Society.

But Silva said nobody seems able to pinpoint the exact program he saw.

“I don’t really know how PBS in Detroit did a program on Fall River Underground Railroad sites, but I’m glad they did.”

The Preservation Society of Fall River owns the Dr. Isaac Fiske House on Pine Street in Fall River.
The Preservation Society of Fall River owns the Dr. Isaac Fiske House on Pine Street in Fall River.

What items were donated for the Underground Railroad museum?

The highlight of the collection, Silva said, is Fiske’s original mortar and pestle, the tools he used as part of his trade as a homeopath.

“That was actually discharged from a small museum up there in Saskatchewan. We’ve got it now," Silva said.

There are also family portraits, including a large one, books, scales, weights and other medical equipment, and glass plate photo negatives. Many of the items need restoration.

“A lot of the books are in rough shape, but they have Dr. Fiske’s signature in them,” Silva said.

How did the exhibit items get to Fall River?

The items are delicate — not the type of things you’d send by mail. Silva flew to Montana where he rented a car, drove to Saskatchewan, then drove back to Fall River. He logged over 3,000 miles on the way back.

It took nearly a week, he said, driving nine hours a day through prairie country and then spending the night wherever he ended up.

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The basement of the Dr. Isaac Fiske House on Pine Street in Fall River is being prepared for its future as an Underground Railroad museum.
The basement of the Dr. Isaac Fiske House on Pine Street in Fall River is being prepared for its future as an Underground Railroad museum.

“I loved it. It was so beautiful. There were no people around," he said. “It would’ve been more fun if I wasn’t super paranoid about anything getting broken with a bump in the back seat.

“The portrait barely fit in the car," he added. “I was holding my breath.”

When will people be able to see the Underground Railroad museum items on display?

Everything is being catalogued and assessed for preservation. The society is currently running a capital campaign, and is applying for grants to raise money for the design of the museum itself. It’ll still be a while before visitors can see these objects in person.

“We’re telling people in the grants that we’re hoping two years from now ... with the rate of funding," Silva said.

Dan Medeiros can be reached at dmedeiros@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News today.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Preservation Society gets exhibits for Underground Railroad museum