Settled shortly after the Revolutionary War, the history of Troy is long and storied; but an often overlooked part of that history settles around the city's role as a centerpiece of the abolitionist movement leading up to the Civil War. As our Matt Hunter reports, scholars and history buffs are now working to make sure that storied past isn't forgotten.

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"This incident from 1860 on the eve of the Civil War and something that contributed to the Civil War, is one of the great neglected parts of our history in this region," said Scott Christianson, author of "Freeing Charles."

What Christianson is referring to, is the rescue of Charles Nalle, an escaped slave from Virginia.

Nalle had been living in Troy for several years, when he was captured by a group that planned to return him to the South. Shortly after, he was rescued by a group of abolitionists lead by Harriet Tubman.

"On April 27, 1860 there was one of the greatest acts of civil disobedience in American history," Christianson said.

Leading up to the Civil War, Troy was a key cog in the Underground Railroad. Right in the heart of the city at the intersection of 1st and State Streets, is where Nalle's historic rescue took place.

Now, history buffs are reliving the story firsthand through seminars and guided tours organized by the Underground Railroad History Project of the Capital Region, a decade old organization devoted to keeping that history alive.

"The stories are really important," said Paul Michael Stewart, one of the organization's co-founders. "They're inspiring, and like I say, they're transformative and teach us a lot about being citizens in a broader community."

As visitors walked in the footsteps of those who helped forge such a critical moment in our country and region's history, scholars hoped they'd come away with a greater understanding of what was sacrificed.

"You read about it and you hear the stories but when you see the physical buildings and the street and the places, it brings it all together," said Endicott resident Brenda Cave-James, whose great-great-grandparents were slaves in New Jersey until they were set free.

"It's a tremendous story and everybody can take pride and interest in what happened here 150 years ago," Christianson said.