Uncrowned Community Builders

Lillion Batchelor founded Buffalo Quarters Historical Society in 1995. Her purpose was to increase National and International awareness of the significant role of Buffalo in the Underground Railroad movement. The Society presents annual recreations of historical events through drama and music culminating in the Niagara River Crossing into Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada.

Ms. Batchelor has worked to bring about a sense of hope, pride, and recognition to Western New York by presenting historical truths, honoring unsung heroes, expanding historical research, increasing international awareness of Buffalo's role in the Underground Railroad, and sharing this rich history in drama, music, and literature.

Through her research, she has discovered and is now cultivating a precious gem in her Broderick Park Project. Construction is now underway to transform Broderick Park into an International Freedom Memorial Park that will compliment ongoing educational efforts.

She founded the only organization (the Buffalo Quarters Historical Society) that utilizes the Niagara River to promote the history of the Underground Railroad in the Buffalo area in partnership with the Canadian government. Under her leadership, the organization has received accolades from United States and Canadian leaders.

Among her numerous awards, Ms Batchelor has received the Civic Empowerment Award (2000); Outstanding Planning Project - Underground Railroad Freedom Memorial (1999); The Municipal Council of the Town of Fort Erie Award of Appreciation (1998); the William Wells Brown Award (1996); Proclamations from the State of New York (1997), City of Buffalo (1995), and City of Fort Erie, Canada (1995).

Among her greatest contributions to the world is her example of parenting. As a grandparent, she has shaped and sculptured replicas of herself through her granddaughters, molding her legacy to ensure that the torch is carried for future generations.