Nathan Power came to Michigan in 1826, helped establish the settlement in Farmington, and, following his Quaker beliefs, became a prominent abolitionist. He aided freedom seekers passing through Farmington via the UGRR, and helped create the Refugee Home Society in 1851. He became involved in the anti-slavery Liberty Party, the later Republican Party, and was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 1855. While there, he was crucial to the successful enactment of state measures to counteract the punitive 1850 Fugitive Slave Act, giving apprehended freedom seekers the right to habeas corpus and a jury trial.

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