John Vickers was an ardent abolitionist and one of the earliest and most active agents on the Underground Railroad. His father, Thomas Vickers, was a member of the PA Anti-Slavery Society that was formed in 1777. In 1823, John Vickers purchased a farm in Lionville and established a pottery there which became known for the quality of its production of sgraffito ware and of red earthenware pots, made from the clay found on his property. Four generations of the Vickers family operated the pottery for fifty years. It was also one of the most important, centrally located stops on the Underground Railroad. No records were ever kept, but many slaves would arrive in the overnight hours. The Vickers family provided food and protection; sometimes even being hidden in kilns. They were then transported in wagons containing a load of pottery and were covered with straw beneath the load to protect them from being seen. Since John Vickers was a potter, he frequently gave the fugitives a slip of paper containing the notation “Thy friend Pot” to present to the station master at their next stop.