CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Ohio Freedom Path app is a little over a year old. But the history it honors goes back centuries.

The app was developed by three women who wanted people in Northeast Ohio to learn and understand the significance of the path American slaves took in search of freedom — commonly called the Underground Railroad.

Fran Stewart, one of the three creators, came up with the idea about 20 years ago after helping Joan Southgate, a Cleveland resident, write a book about her experience walking the Ohio Freedom Path.

“The idea goes back to when Joan Southgate walked the Underground Railroad over 20 years ago in 2002,” Stewart said.

“I helped her write her book, ‘In Their Path,’ about the walk.

“I had already done a lot of work on the history of the Underground Railroad in Ohio. All along, I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to make this a walk that other people might want to experience?’

“I knew from the work that I had done on the book and the work that I later did as part of Restore Cleveland Hope that a large part of the Ohio to Erie trail mirrors some of the paths that were taken by freedom seekers when they crossed Ohio on their on their journey to freedom.

“They were helped along by Underground Railroad conductors, both Black and white, in Ohio.”

According to Stewart, Southgate’s 519-mile journey started in Ripley, Ohio. In the planning stages, Southgate knew there were several routes, so she mostly took the roads she wanted to take.

Some roads on one of the routes have absolutely no shoulder, and semi-trucks fly by there. So, in the interest of safety, they didn’t include that route in the app, Stewart said.

The Ohio to Erie trail stretches from Cincinnati to Cleveland.

It’s pretty much a walking and biking trail — only a little piece of it is still part of the road. Most of it is a dedicated trail system.

Another partner in this venture is Jan Thrope, executive director of Inner Visions of Cleveland, who met up with Stewart over a year ago and started talking about the 20th anniversary of Southgate’s walk.

Thrope thought it might be a good idea to follow in her footsteps to commemorate the occasion.

Stewart thought it was a good idea, too, and suggested that she might join her for a part of it.

This encounter prompted Stewart to revisit the idea of sharing this experience with the public. Thrope had heard the app idea before and said they should do it.

“I have known Leanne Jones, Ohio Freedom Path (the third partner), for many, many years,” said Stewart.

“I happened to know she was looking for something to do, and she knew how to build an app.

“All of us had our little lanes. I worked on the history and content. Thrope helped find the right talent for narrating the various stops on the tour. And, of course, Jones helped turn it into an app.

“This was a passion project for us.”

The group began the app project by pulling from the historical markers in the 15 counties that the Ohio to Erie trail passes through.

The trail is 326 miles long.

Obie Shelton, a local broadcaster, agreed to provide the narration related to the Underground Railroad.

The next task was to find excerpts from speeches and poems related to the journey, as well as letters, autobiographies and songs.

The women were adamant about showcasing that this was a movement that involved Blacks, whites and women.

People who have researched the app have come back and said they want to take the trail, Stewart said.

The app can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.

It’s amazing how much information they were able to get into the app. The narrations are clear, well-spoken and done dramatically to get across what was going through people’s heads while seeking freedom.

An introduction debunks a well-known myth that the Underground Railroad was an actual train.

Listeners have the option of reading about the location or listening to the recording. Under County Tours, visitors will find narrations for each of the 15 counties along the trail.

Jeanne Van Atta, vice president of the board for Restore Cleveland Hope, operates the Cozad Bates House in Cleveland.

The house is located in University Circle, near Mayfield Road and Euclid Avenue, and is another way to learn about the horrific tales of slavery.

The house was built in 1853, which makes it the oldest standing structure in the area.

Restore Cleveland Hope only uses a portion of it to tell the stories of fugitive slaves who moved through the Underground Railroad and were helped by the Cozad family in Cleveland on their way to Canada.

“The part we turned into an Underground Railroad Interpretive Center was built in 1853,” she said.

“So that’s the only dwelling of any kind or any building in University Circle left from the pre-Civil War era.

“On the outside of the home are quotes and plaques that are of historic interest.

“Visitors will hear about how abolitionists, at the Ohio River, helped slaves by pointing them to a safe road as they headed north to Cleveland.

“We have four rooms to tell them stories from that era. There were some amazing people. There’s one wall that has a map with markers on it discussing the abolitionists, and you see their names.”

The Cozad-Bates House is at 11508 Mayfield Road. It’s free to visit, but donations are appreciated.