How is history portrayed in the novel?

This novel begins with the Small family moving to a house in Ohio based on the fact that the house is of historical significance. The house is once an important stop on the Underground Railroad. Mr. Small learns about the house through a foundation that cares for historical sites such as this one. Mr. Small chooses to move to the house based almost solely on its historical worth. However, the house is also thought to be haunted, a fact that both intrigues and causes suspicion in Mr. Small. The idea also excites Mr. Small's son, Thomas.

When the Small family arrives at the house, they begin to explore the tunnels and hidden rooms throughout the house that were used to conceal the runaway slaves. At the same time, these same tunnels are used against the Smalls as the Darrows break in and try to scare them away. In time, the Smalls learn that the Darrows are looking for the rumored treasure Dies Drear left in the house. The Smalls are able to scare the Darrows away and at the same time learn that the Darrows misunderstood the use of the triangles they use to scare the Smalls away. The triangles, it turns out, are actually small directional clues for the runaway slaves. It is a piece of history that the Smalls are more than thrilled to learn about. The history in this novel is important to the overall development of the plot, making history a major theme of the novel.