Walking trail in Upper Darby takes visitors through historic tour on the Underground Railroad

UPPER DARBY, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- A new walking trail in Upper Darby, Delaware County, takes residents and visitors on a historic tour through town to highlights often little-known locations on the Underground Railroad.

The Upper Darby Historical Society has been hard at work on the project, shedding light on an important part of the struggle for equal rights in America.

"These sites are culturally relevant because they tell a story of Black history in the 19th century in Upper Darby," said Bart Everts, a researcher at Rutgers University.

The trail is a little more than five miles long and typically takes around two hours to walk.

"The walking trail spans a good portion of Upper Darby actually," added Everts. "It starts in the Drexel Hill neighborhood at Thomas Garrett House. It's basically a walk you could do through sidewalks, and it walks up through the main streets."

While the trail ends along the Philadelphia border near Cobbs Creek, Everts says you can also drive the travel instead of walking it.

"A trail like this to me is important because it makes people aware of the history right beneath their feet and all around them," said Ivan Henderson, who is the vice president of programming at the African American Museum of Philadelphia.

Robert Seeley, with the Upper Darby Historical Society, says this is long overdue.

"It's a part of our history we should be proud of," said Seeley.

Dr. Nilgun Anadolu-Okur, who teaches African-American studies at Temple University, says that walking on this trail is just one-way individuals can pay their respects to the people before them.

While it's good exercise, Upper Darby Mayor Barbarann Keffer says it's nice to absorb the rich history that is right there in Upper Darby.

"History is not just for books and movies, said Keffer. "These homes and these spots are a great resource. We want to highlight Upper Darby and its history."

The historical society has detailed directions that you can find online here.