emblematic of so many similar but typically-undocumented cases. Also importantly, the Blackburns' situation prompted the articulation of a legal defense against slavery. They were also designated for their contribution to the growth of Toronto, generosity to the less fortunate, and lifelong resistance to slavery. In 2002, plaques in their honour were erected at the site of their excavated house in Toronto, Ontario, and in Louisville, Kentucky. In 1985, an archaeological dig uncovered the foundations of the Thorntons' home, leading to a book about their lives, I've Got a Home in Glory Land: A Lost Tale of the Underground Railroad, written by historian Karolyn Smardz Frost. In 2015, a mural near their former home, "Site Specific," was installed. It depicts the history of the neighbourhood, and includes the Thorntons' cab. In 2016, a conference centre at George Brown College in Toronto was named for Thornton and Lucie Blackburn, and a mural depicting their story has been painted in the building's downstairs lobby. See also Buxton National Historic Site and Museum Blackburn Riots References Further reading A. S. Quinn "The Detroit Riot of 1863; racial violence and internal division in Northern society during the Civil War" Adrienne Shadd, Afua Cooper and Karolyn Smardz Frost "The Underground Railroad: Next Stop, Toronto!" "A Glimpse of Toronto's History", Urban Affairs Library, Metro Hall Lobby, 55 John Street, Toronto . Winner, 2007 Governor General's Literary Award for Nonfiction; Nominee (Nonfiction), National Books Critics Circle Award 2007. See, Governor General's Award for English language non-fiction. External links Thornton and Lucie Blackburn Historic Sites and Monuments Board federal plaque, Toronto Kentucky Fugitives, Commonwealth of Kentucky plaque to the Blackburns, Louisville http://www.lostrivers.ca/points/blackburn.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20070529044806/http://www.toronto.ca/torontoplan/lost.htm St. Lawrence Hall Underground Railroad plaque, Parks Canada, Toronto The Buxton Settlement National Historic Site plaque, Buxton, Ontario The Buxton Settlement 1849, provincial historical plaque, Buxton, Ontario George Brown Underground Railroad plaque, Parks Canada, Toronto BHM Toronto history - Thornton Blackburn Fugitive American slaves Underground Railroad people History of Kentucky People of pre-statehood Michigan History of Detroit History of Black people in Canada Black Canadian activists Canadian abolitionists People from Old Toronto Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada) 1812 births 1890 deaths People from Mason County, Kentucky People from Louisville, Kentucky People from Essex County, Ontario Burials at Toronto Necropolis