Honoring the legacy of a slave-turned-landowner Historian’s devotion to a life lived centuries ago gains county’s support BY CHRIS GAETANO Staff Writer Historian James Shackleford has been fighting to protect, preserve and call attention to the historical significance of the Titus farm in South Brunswick. A man centuries dead will receive a memorial for his life’s accomplishments, thanks to the efforts of a South Brunswick historian. On Dec. 7, James Shackleford, of Dayton, was the recipient of a large bronze plaque that will mark the site where Shackleford believes a former slave-turned-landowner is buried. Bestowed to him by the Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission, it tells its viewers a short summary of the life and times of the man, as well as the significance of the farm he once owned. He is among the first recipients of historical markers from the county in a new program sponsored by the commission dedicated to commemorating historical sites. The director of the program, Anna Aschkenes, said that there is already a long waiting list for other historical sites. Shackleford feels that the marker might help draw attention to the little discussed history of slavery in the North. “Since this is kind of an usual thing and a lot of people aren’t really familiar with slavery in New Jersey, I thought that the marker was a wonderful way to identify that he lived and some of the accomplishments that he and his family were able to attain,” said Shackleford. The plaque Shackleford received will be placed on what has been called the Titus farm, named after Thomas Titus, the aforementioned freed slave and farmer. The marker itself will be upon the site of where Shackleford is “90 percent sure” Titus is buried. The life and legacy of this man has become the subject of fascination for Shackleford, who discovered his story while doing research on the history of slavery in South Brunswick in general. Titus, according to Shackleford’s research, spent much of his life as a slave to the Beekman family, for whom Beekman Road is named. Once freed in 1817, he bought a small plot of land from the nearby Van Dyke family, for whom the Van Dyke farm on Davidsons Mill Road is named. The Van Dykes were another land-owning family that made use of slaves. It is said that the bodies of these slaves are still buried somewhere on the farm, though best guesses at this point place their locations somewhere under a nearby paved road. As Titus worked the land, he gradually began to buy more of it until, eventually, the tract stretched for 11 acres. Alan Hooper, who was the grandson of Titus, sold the land in 1870 to a descendant of the family who had owned his grandfather. It then went through a long series of owners before the township parks department came to acquire it in 1989. Shackleford, through his research, came to know the approximate location of Titus’ remains by contacting a descendent of Thomas Titus, who showed him around the property. This 95-year-old man from New Brunswick — where, apparently, many of Titus’ descendants eventually moved — still had a sharp mind and knew the approximate area where the body was buried. Shackleford hopes that more people will come forward to mark down historical sites throughout Middlesex County and noted that the process itself isn’t that difficult. “It wasn’t difficult, and I think a lot of people are going to have the opportunity to do this. I think it’s a wonderful thing that history is being represented throughout our county. There’s a lot of history in Middlesex County, and this is a wonderful way to recognize it,” said Shackleford. The process involved him sending in his research, including pictures and descriptions of the site as well as why the site is so important. Shackleford is currently evaluating other projects for which he might want to apply for a historical marker, but he’s unsure which direction he wants to go just yet. “I think it’s a good chance to recognize some things in our township,” said Shackleford. He said that he plans to place the plaque sometime around June.