The real Underground Railroad — a network of safe houses and secret routes that assisted runaway enslaved people on their journeys to freedom in the North — has a mysterious history in Central New Jersey.
The region has only a few documented Underground Railroad sites, but far more have garnered debate among historians and property owners.
"The trouble with the Underground Railroad is there were no records kept because it was all highly secretive," said Richard Moody, a former board member and longtime volunteer with the Cranbury Historical and Preservation Society, as well as a volunteer with the Historical Society of Princeton.
"Unfortunately, as always, there are people who like to claim their house was a safe house on the Underground Railroad, but it's quite difficult to get the true story."
Reviving interest in the subject is the 10-part miniseries "The Underground Railroad," which debuted on May 14 on Amazon Prime.
What is known is that New Jersey was a crucial part of the Underground Railroad, being that it was close to the slave states of Delaware and Maryland. Plus, it's in between Philadelphia and New York City, two of the most active Underground Railroad metropolitan centers.
Read More: USAtoday.com
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