el ▁A ME , ▁its ▁con greg ation ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁supported ▁the ▁Under ground ▁Rail road ▁and ▁a ided ▁fug itive ▁slaves ▁to ▁freedom , ▁together ▁with ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Ant io ch ▁Bapt ist ▁Church ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 8 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁the ▁county ' s ▁state ▁att orney ▁Br end an ▁Kelly ▁described ▁the ▁village ▁as ▁a ▁' failed ▁state .' ▁ ▁History ▁According ▁to ▁or al ▁history ▁tradition , ▁by ▁ 1 8 2 9 ▁" M other " ▁Pr isc illa ▁Baltimore ▁led ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁eleven ▁families , ▁composed ▁of ▁both ▁fug itive ▁and ▁free ▁African ▁Americans , ▁to ▁fle e ▁sla very ▁in ▁St . ▁Louis , ▁Missouri . ▁They ▁crossed ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁River ▁to ▁the ▁free ▁state ▁of ▁Illinois , ▁where ▁they ▁established ▁a ▁freedom ▁village ▁in ▁the ▁American ▁B ottom s . ▁" M other " ▁Baltimore ▁was ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁purchased ▁her ▁freedom ▁as ▁an ▁adult ▁from ▁her ▁master . ▁She ▁also ▁bought ▁the ▁freedom ▁of ▁members ▁of ▁her ▁family . ▁Born ▁in ▁Kentucky , ▁she ▁track ed ▁her ▁white ▁father ▁to ▁Missouri ▁and ▁bought ▁her ▁mother ' s ▁freedom ▁from ▁him . ▁The ▁earliest ▁black ▁families ▁included ▁Anderson , ▁S ull ivan , ▁Sing leton , ▁Wilson , ▁C ox , ▁Wy att , ▁and ▁Car per . ▁ ▁Mir anda ▁Y ance y - B a iley , ▁an ▁ar che ologist ▁working ▁on ▁a ▁ 2 1 st - century