Historic Church Visit

Over the Memorial Day weekend I attended a christening for a family friend who lives in Philadelphia. Little did I know the church is a famous historic landmark in Philly. This is also the very first church of it's kind in the United States. The Mother Bethel AME church was established around 1787. It has been a National historic landmark since 1974. Of course there was no AC so it was rather moist for us suit wearers but the church has such a nice feel to it I did not mind at all. A guest speaker from Nigeria made it even more fun for me. I have never attended a African Methodist Episcopal church before but there are similarities to services to the Baptist church I have attended. So I felt quite at home during the service which lasted around 90 minutes. They offer tours so I plan to return to do the historical tour and learn more about the structure and the founder Richard Allen. Should be fun learning something so new.

Van Dyke Jigsaw Puzzle

Finally after 6 weeks I started putting together my research on the African American Van Dykes. Not that I researched that long it was tough squeezing in Tituses and Van Dykes at the same time. Turns out what little I got has them related anyway. The main conclusion I have come to is that once they were released the black Van Dykes seemed to have settled in Franklin Township on both sides Franklin and South Brunswick. To make matters more confusing Van Dykes lived in Montgomery (Harlingen Reformed Church) Franklin and South Brunswick (Six Mile Run Church) holding properties in all three areas and in some cases property stretching into the three areas. I researched the Harlingen Reformed Church, State Archives, Rutgers Library, Freehold's Monmouth County Historical Society and the Administrations building in New Brunswick for wills and deeds. Nothing but tiny tidbits of information and worse yet nothing to confirm the existence of the slave cemetery at Fresh Ponds. I was able to confirm two Black Van Dykes in South Brunswick, Hattie Van Dyke (died around 1946) who's sister Bertha Ten Broeck, is related to the wife of Thomas Titus and is buried in Kendall Park. Libbie Van Dyke lived across the street from Six Mile Run Church on the South Brunswick side of 27 and I suspect is actually Eliza Van Dyke (cannot prove it with certainty) who shows on a hand written map from 1896 of this area. There are several other black Van Dykes in Franklin census records and also in Hillsborough census records. (Can you tell I went DEEP!) Let's break it all down in simple terms. No one ever bothered to document these people except for some census records. The only way I will be able to get further is to find living relatives, but that puts me back into the same issue. Proof I need documented proof on these people. I even discovered a family bible of the Van Dykes given to a Rev J Addison Henry of Philadelphia (Could he have served in Cranbury Presbyterian HELP ME OUT Jean)by Catharine Rue. It only lists the whites in the family although it was neat to become aware of it's existence. What I need is a family bible from the black Van Dykes with where everyone was buried, talk about dreaming large...

Headstone in the school

For quite some time I have been hearing stories about headstones in one of our elementary schools. I actually requested it be checked although I cannot be sure anyone actually looked. At a dinner party last night I had a opportunity to meet a unnamed important person in the district who wants to personally investigate this. My wife confirmed 3 other people she knew in the school system who confirmed they saw the stones as well having attended this school in there youth. The stones were removed to build a play ground over the small family plot (Sad isn't it?) since a school sits on the property. They were supposed to have moved the stones into the back woods which I have walked many times without a sign of them. This is the list of who was buried in this cemetery I wonder how many stones were removed?
Morris, Ann, d. July 29, 1817, age 86.3.3

Rightmire, James, d. July 7, 1829, aged 59 years

Sutphin, Mary, wife of Richard Sutphin, d . May 6, 1841, aged 61 years

Sutphin, Richard, d. Aug. 17, 1840, aged 85 years

Van Cleef, Ann, wife of Jacobas, daughter of Thomas & Jane Caywood, d. May 25, 1811, aged 20.11.18

Van Pelt, Aaron, d. Aug. 11, 1830, aged 30.4.11

Van Pelt, Abigail, wife of Isaac Van Pelt, d. Oct. 7, 1849, aged 82.8.6

Van Pelt, Isaac, d. April 27, 1816, aged 65.7.17

Van Pelt, Isaac, d. April 27, 1816, aged 67 years

Van Pelt, Isaac, d. April 30, 1825, aged 37.2.2


I'll keep you all posted on this one should be interesting to see if I can find them.

Making my own history

5/16/07 at 3:15 my daughter crossed the stage at the PNC Arts Center in NJ and received her B.A. degree in Special Education/Music. She is the first of the grandchildren to get her degree and it was a very special, even historical, moment for my family. She follows into the footsteps of her mother in special ed and into mine in music. That really makes it so wonderful to see the best parts of us as parents come through into the child. I have no doubt she will become a valued member of society and a good person. That is really what we all desire as parents when you boil it down. These are the days you want to relive over and over.

Running with scissors

Took a few days away from the blog. Times are as busy as ever. Shannon graduates Monmouth U Wednesday, CJ graduates Middle School and has his final band concert in June and I am still in preparation for the Titus event. I spent Saturday with my assistant (yea I actually have one) and we are working on a correctly prepared program. I have the information now it needs to be placed with pictures correctly and I even have someone to set it up and print it. Tomorrow I visit the Mayor's office to make sure they are on top of the setup and to tell them I may have Senator Menendez lined up, I should find out by the end of the week. Such a slow process to get a politician to commit to a event. The Mayor's in for a surprise because none of them realize I have come this close in securing a solidly known speaker and this now needs to have a press release not to mention public awareness. I decided to keep it quiet till I was almost positive and it's looking good right now. Three speakers just as I wanted makes it smooth. Trying to contact the New Jersey Orators has become harder than I anticipated but I'll keep trying. My overall goal is to have a high turn out and create a atmosphere of discussion for history in South Brunswick. I'm praying harder than ever now and running with scissors....

Elaine, Spiderman and the EVA.

One of the things I love most about the pursuit of saving the Van Dyke farm is the people I have worked with. I have worked very closely with 4 of the members and I have the utmost respect for each of them. On May 1st Elaine was featured in a story about the farm in the New Jersey Jewish News entitled "Once We Were Slaves". Elaine has such a tremendous drive in this effort and she has on more than one occasion picked me up when I was in research hell. Research hell is the place I wind up when I cannot find the information I need. She is sincere and very determined (Don't tell her my nickname for her is PITBULL heheheh). Elaine convinced me to lecture for the EVA at the Slave Symposium. No matter how many times I tell her I cannot find something she refuses to let me go without giving it a finally shot. Jonathan silently fights from his PC, Bill is the emotional fighter, Jean stands up to anyone for the fight, Elaine keeps pushing the fight and I look for the historic might for the fight. I am very proud to stand among the EVA and fight for the Van Dyke farm and today I am extra proud of Elaine pushing the fight anywhere it needs to go. Her article included this line. "East Brunswick woman cites her Jewish values in fight to preserve farm". That says it all about Elaine. Maybe we should all be Marvel Superheros, move your butt over Spidey!

Mr. Walling goes to Monroe

Imagine my shock this morning when I started to read in my local South Brunswick Post that Richard Walling was involved in the Thompson Park mess in Jamesburg in which Monroe Township is trying to build a new school. Here is an excerpt:

"Enter Richard Walling, a historical preservationist and author who believes the proposed high school site to be the location of historical Bethel Indian Town, the Presbyterian mission run by the Rev. David Brainerd in the middle of the 1700s. Mr. Walling has filed an application with the state Historic Preservation Office to have it listed on the state Register of Historic Sites — and he says he'll sue if the state, township or school board go ahead with the school project before the application is reviewed. (He's also threatened township officials, via e-mail, with charges of official misconduct — which would be par for the course in a battle that has been rife with personal attacks from its beginning four years ago.)"

This is a great cause and it is always good to keep up the good fight but Mr. Walling has had some very difficult times in the public eye in the last few years and frankly I am very surprised he would become involved in this very public battle. I cannot judge him (lord knows we all have done things not to be proud) but if I were him I think it wise to keep myself in the background of a big situation such as this. For those of you who don't know him or what happened "allegedly" here is some of his story in East Brunswick NJ.

" Former East Brunswick councilman, disgraced teacher and local historian Richard Walling has pleaded guilty to theft in connection with checks from The Friends of Monmouth Battlefield that he wrote for eyeglasses, phone bills and to himself, authorities said. Walling, 48, served as the chief executive officer of the Monmouth County-based volunteer, nonprofit group when he stole $32,500 from it between August 2003 and February 2005 authorities said."

I will give him credit for being passionate but his previous issues could make his association with the situation turn poisonous. Stay tuned, this could get really good in the future....

Losing Ground

A new movie is coming called Losing Ground http://www.losinggroundmovie.com/main.swf
Micheal Levine tells the story of a transformation of his farming community into McMansions, as he calls them. This story runs parallel to the Van Dyke farm and many other threatened farms throughout New Jersey. The story is about Pilesgrove Township in Salem County but it really could be anywhere in central or southern NJ. This will open dialogue which is constantly debated on the use of farmland in NJ. I can only hope it gets national attention and many others can see the effect developers and township officials are having on the landscape of my state.

Monroe school bus accident

Strangely enough last week I was driving Route 522 past the area of the Monroe bus accident yesterday and when I reached the Barclay School we had to stop for the buses. A SUV driver passes me on the double yellow line and proceeds to pass the school bus who was waiting his turn to make the left. As he did this cars began to try and squeeze past him so he was basically making a third lane on a two lane road. When I heard the buses collided I was not very surprised. The drivers I see in this area need to take a lot more caution around these schools and these children.

The importance of history

I have been lecturing and researching for a while and sometimes you take for granted the importance of what your doing. Sunday I decided to attend my childhood church home and it was a wonderful day even though it lasted a whopping three hours. It felt like I never left which has me pondering a return to 2ND Baptist on a weekly basis. Now I attended this church from 1970 or so through 1980 so I grew into a young man and then into a man while there. Yesterday I found myself full of joy and yet nagged with sorrow. As I glanced around the church I kept imagining the faces that were gone. And there were many faces gone, not due to choice, due to death. I have always felt at home with elders in my life a feeling all of my children seem to share with me. I looked at the Deacons, Roselle, Spears and many others were gone. Pastor's wife is in a nursing home. People I remember as kids were now men and women as I am some of them gone in death too. Seeing this made me really understand the value of oral history. That history that Aunt Fannie and Uncle Joe, Grandpa Jim and Grandma Flo have in there heads. People realize this way too late. Once they are gone you cannot get that history back. All the times they babbled those stories in your head, repeated the same one over and over again. Once they pass you may wish you had listened closer and paid better attention. In my family they just don't want to talk about it. My family experienced slavery in Georgia. here I am a slavery researcher with a oral history in my family and I cannot even approach the subject. I am practically begging them to tell me everything and they refuse. So take the time to listen and even write down those stories, that is your heritage and your legacy. You will be glad you did, hey it took me 48 years to understand this.

Spring time is here

The weather is good, the sun is shining and warm. Time for some cemetery searches. Woodland exploration. Old house hunting. This is the time of the year I can head out and look at old structures and the like. I love when I can get back outside. Not that inside research isn't good too but I love to be outside searching for things. I have done some of my best work in the spring/summer. I remember the summer I went after the Titus headstone. I must have approached everyone in Kendall Park and Monmouth Junction looking for that stone. I found the farm and I found writings of the existence of the stone but the stone itself hid out almost an entire summer. Thank god someone finally recalled a man named Tom Morris (Head of recreation of all things)who knew about a stone. After a conversation with him I was sent to the Public Works building and inside of there, up the stairs, down the dirty corridor through a broom closet, in a corner lay the stone. In two pieces but still there never the less. The headstone in the broom closet. You better believe they don't keep it in a broom closet anymore :-) That was a grand accomplishment for me and I still recall that feeling once I laid eyes on it. It is a good feeling when you find something that eludes you for so long. I think everyone should experience that feeling once and a while, it acts like a boost of confidence inside you. I still years later carry that feeling with me. Who knows maybe I'll go over the Eastern side of town and play with Tucker, Toby and Chance....

The LOST connection to the USS Constellation

I have resisted blogging about many other things than history and current history. (Don Imus)I can't stand it anymore I must bring up my favorite TV show LOST. Now if you never watched it you will have no idea of why we LOST fans are so perplexed and that really won't matter so please read on. The premise is:
Plane crashes on island,
Some survive,
Others are living on the island,
Strange things happen on the island.
There is is area on the island known as Black Rock. Within it is a huge old 19Th century ship. When this was found it had the markings of a slave ship. It is old and falling apart with unstable dynamite and dead bodies all around and inside. When we first were shown this ship I was so excited and I had to wait a long time till last night's episode not only brought it back but spent a lot of time within the ship. Mind you it is on dry land way back from the beach line of the island so it has a creepy aura about it. Because this episode was so intense I could not see a lot of the ship in the scenes but you better believe I will be watching this online just to keep eyes out for the ship background. It is such a treat for me to have such a piece of history written into a TV show and it is a part of the charm of LOST for me. You never know what will show up and how odd it may be. My curiosity of slave ships started back in 2002 I think. My family took a trip to Baltimore Inner Harbor. The gals went shopping and my son and I saw this ship docked and it looked really old. So we paid the price and boarded and I immediately felt uneasy. As I went deeper into the levels I felt down right chilled to the bone. My son who was about 9 at the time seemed fine so I shrugged it off. The thing that really bothered me was a map which showed how the slaves were packed in the hull like sardines. I finally had to leave the ship, not that I was not aware of these ships and the stories it just hounded me in my mind. I truly felt fear. So what did I do when I got back home? Hit the Internet and searched for the USS Constellation and I found it on many ghost hunters list as the most haunted ship. Now I did not SEE or HEAR anything. But the history of the ship starts as a slave ship and ends up in battle in the Civil War. So death and misery surrounded her throughout history. I cannot confirm or deny the existence of ghosts (Many others have worked that) but it did leave me cold. Best of all LOST has brought me back to that day in Baltimore of which I never planned to share with anyone (except the lovely Charleen :-) ). Since many who read this know me I hope you all know I am basically a sane man. (Go ahead disprove it, I dare ya) If you ever get to Baltimore board this ship and see for yourself, at least I warned you ahead of time!!!

Farewell to a friend...

I sent a invitation to the Plainsboro Historical Society yesterday and Robert Yuell responded back. He was the first person I encountered when I started my research on the Deans and slaves back in 2001 outside of South Brunswick. They helped me find a family history on the Titus family which they had a copy of and some of the elders of the town (Volunteers) knew the Tituses that lived in Plainsboro and gave me personnel accounts of the family. I have made several trips to Plainsboro for research and Robert has always been helpful and interested in the work I have done. Sadly he has decided to move to Florida in the coming months and it will be a loss for the community. As it always seems he was the main fountain of information there and I can only hope someone can pick up the job once Robert makes his move. He was very dedicated to the history of the town and I will surely miss his presence there. Good luck my friend, I will miss you.

Opening old wounds...

I was thinking about sending some personal invites to the farm event to people who have been so helpful to me over the years. Plainsboro, Cranbury and Freehold historical groups have really helped me in my research. Of course now I am thinking about all the towns around me with historical societies and my town has none. It was said that when we had one in the 1980's the chairwoman got frustrated and dumped all the information at the library, which explains why the library has so much great information. We have some good locations and possibilities but we don't have the people. There are small bands of us throughout the township trying to preserve history here, but we have no consolidated efforts. Maybe once Titus is over and the Van Dyke farm is saved I should open a dialogue for residents on this subject, there are a lot of people with items needed to be collected but one person cannot do it. (God bless you Ceil) Maybe I should stop wondering and start some action....