If These Stones Could Talk: African American Presence in the Hopewell Valley, Sourland Mountain and Surrounding Regions of New Jersey

by Elaine Buck, Beverly Mills, Kimberly Nagy (Editor)

Cemeteries have stories to tell, voices to unearth--and lessons from the past that we can draw upon to better shape the future. If These Stones Could Talk brings fresh light to a forgotten corner of American history that begins in a small cemetery in central New Jersey. Authors of If These Stones Could Talk Elaine Buck and Beverly Mills started their journey through the past as two middle aged African American women with busy but quiet lives. They were both board members of the Stoutsburg Cemetery Association, a cemetery that is nestled in New Jersey's Sourland Mountain region. The cemetery was purchased by three Black men in the early 19th century to bury Blacks with honor and dignity. When Buck and Mills got an unexpected call for help, what began as a search through the woods for gravestone markers soon had them rummaging through land deeds and making relentless calls to state officials, archeologists and reporters. Their foray into historic preservation work convinced Buck and Mills that they had a lot more work left to do to connect African American history to local and national history books--within which they still felt largely absent from the most visible narratives in United States history. In warm but unflinching voices authors Buck and Mills offer readers a unique window into our past. These stories, including dozens of oral histories, consecrate the collected lives of a minority Black community in a predominantly White region, a pattern of community that reflects a larger, deeply important but typically overlooked national story in small towns all over the United States.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

374 pages, Paperback

Published November 7, 2018

Reviews

[kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite literally cannot recommend this book enough. Does an excellent job of situating local history within a national and international context. The trail of stories from the beginning of New Jersey to present day highlights just how much we are continually influenced by our past.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

For someone who grew up in Hopewell/Hopewell Valley it was surprising, informative and at times like going home again. It's an excellent documentary of the African American population struggling to achieve equality and a life of their own in a pre dominently white area of New Jersey. I went to school with Elaine and John Buck and realize how naive I was as a child and as an adult about their experience of growing up in Hopewell. Lots of familiar names, really enjoyed it.

[Saronyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful, significant, and passionately researched. This book greatly enriched my perspective of the history of the people who lived in the Sourlands region.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The authors have done an amazing job gathering documents and oral histories to paint a picture of the history of the Black community in the Hopewell Valley. The stories they recount have reshaped my understanding of places I pass by all the time. I certainly was not aware (as the authors acknowledge most are not) of the deep history of slavery in this region and the long-term impact those original slaves and their descendants have had on the social fabric of the Sourlands. As a treasure trove of information, a testament to a history that is often unknown or misunderstood, this book is top notch. I only wish it had been better edited. There are typos, minor errors in names and relationships, and confusing changes in voice. The most significant issue is the disjointed organization, which can be hard to follow. The decision to print the raw material from interviews as-is means that nothing is left out for the reader, but it can be confusing when pieces of one person’s story are told in different places by different relatives. If left me a little frustrated, but that didn’t stop it from being a fascinating read from beginning to end.

[Dee S · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells the history of an area not far from where I live. Elaine Buck and Beverly Mills used their roles as Board members of the Stoutsburg cemetery to uncover information about the history of the Black residents in Central NJ. Called to help stop a West Amwell burial place from being destroyed lead to the tracing of a history overlooked- African American slaves, land owners, and patriots. By studying gravemarkers and historic records they share a history of NJ I did not learn in school. Did you know that an African American early settler of the Sourland Mountains fought in the Revolutionary War? Were you aware of the contributions Black men and women made during the Civil War, WWi and WWII? The chapter, Resident Stories, was compelling to read. Each resident - or their children /grandchildren told memories of growing up in the area.

[Bobbie Groth · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the lover of the history of small localities in America, and those who thirst for insight into the lives that African Americans made for themselves in the hostile and unforgiving American environments in which they found themselves. This book talks about the finding and saving of an African American cemetery that held several generations of beloveds in rural New Jersey, and its writing was a gift to all who look for their ancestors in a country that hid their lives and deaths in so many ways. Wonderful.

[Paul Jellinek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Using multiple voices, both past and present, this lovingly produced and utterly unpretentious book presents a kaleidoscopic picture of African American life over the past two hundred-plus years here in west-central New Jersey. The stones of the book's title are not polished, but they do finally get their say, and in their quiet way they tell a heartbreaking story of great courage and dignity in the face of a pervasively (if largely unacknowledged) racist society.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this book that included names and places I was familiar with. However, I think anyone who is interested in Black genealogy or history would be interested in following the discoveries made.

(OK, one complaint, but it's not about the book, it's about Goodreads. This book is by Elaine Buck AND Beverly Mills! Her name is left off of this review; I hope it will be corrected)

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

An eye-opening history of African Americans in the Hopewell Valley. I had no idea slavery existed in the North as well. Very grateful to these talented local authors for providing such an interesting window into our town's history.

[Nip · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wealth of original research. And so revealing. As a long-time New Jersey resident, I was completely ignorant of slavery in this state. Also ignorant of the widespread and popular Ku Klux Klan activities in central NJ in the 1920s, 30s and beyond. A must-read for NJ residents.

[Olga Vannucci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, the stories they would tell
Of the area 'round Hopewell.

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and personal explorations of history that isn't usually told.

[Christine Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

And important and interesting book.

[Delfina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up in the areas focused on in the book. I learned so much from reading this. I highly recommend this book, especially if you are from central NJ!!!