Harriet Tubman statue unveiled in Georgetown County

WMBF News reports that GEORGETOWN, SC (WMBF) - A life-size Harriet Tubman statue now stands at the Georgetown County Library.

Tubman is known for her work as a conductor for the Underground Railroad in the 1800s during the Civil War, but the statue is meant to shine a light on James Bowley, her great-grandnephew, a former Georgetown resident who was among the first people she freed.

“Of all the people Harriet Tubman freed on her famed underground railroad, she started with James and his family, and that in itself was an untold story,” said Steve Williams, historian.

Tubman raised Bowley as one of her own, placing a heavy emphasis on education and eventually paying for his college.

After the Civil War, he made his way to Georgetown, starting as a teacher.

“He realized that the students in Georgetown had no books, had no supplies, had nothing, no clothing, no food,” Williams said.