▁been ▁called ▁Port land . ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁was ▁built ▁on ▁land ▁formerly ▁occupied ▁by ▁a ▁Native - American ▁man ▁named ▁Og ont z , ▁and ▁therefore ▁the ▁city ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁built ▁on ▁" O g ont z ' ▁place ". ▁ ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁abol ition ▁of ▁sla very ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁Sand us ky ▁was ▁a ▁major ▁stop ▁for ▁refuge e ▁slaves ▁on ▁the ▁Under ground ▁Rail road , ▁as ▁some ▁would ▁travel ▁across ▁Lake ▁Er ie ▁to ▁reach ▁freedom ▁in ▁Canada . ▁Although ▁Ohio ▁was ▁a ▁free ▁state , ▁they ▁felt ▁at ▁risk ▁from ▁sla vec atch ers ▁because ▁of ▁bon uses ▁offered ▁under ▁the ▁F ug itive ▁S lave ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 8 5 0 . ▁As ▁dep icted ▁in ▁Har ri et ▁Be e cher ▁St owe ' s ▁novel ▁Uncle ▁Tom ' s ▁Cab in ▁( 1 8 5 5 ), ▁many ▁refuge e ▁slaves ▁seeking ▁to ▁get ▁to ▁Canada ▁made ▁their ▁way ▁to ▁Sand us ky , ▁where ▁they ▁board ed ▁boats ▁crossing ▁Lake ▁Er ie ▁to ▁the ▁port ▁of ▁Am her st burg ▁in ▁Ontario . ▁ ▁Sand us ky ' s ▁original ▁plat ▁was ▁designed ▁by ▁survey or ▁H ector ▁Kil bourne ▁according ▁to ▁a ▁modified ▁grid ▁plan , ▁known ▁today ▁as ▁the ▁Kil bourne ▁Plat . ▁Kil bourne ▁later ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁Wor ship ful ▁Master ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁Sand us ky ▁Mason ic ▁L odge ▁known ▁as ▁Science ▁L odge ▁# 5 0 , ▁still