Remember Anthony Thompson On Juneteenth: Montclair History Center

MONTCLAIR, NJ — As Montclair prepares to celebrate Juneteenth as a public holiday for the first time, the Montclair History Center has a name that local celebrants should keep in mind: Anthony Thompson.

Juneteenth, which takes place on June 19, commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.

The history center posted the following message about Thompson on Friday:

“In honor of the holiday, we celebrate the life of Anthony Thompson, a man who had been enslaved in Montclair (then Cranetown) by Samuel Ward in the early 19th century. Born in 1798, Thompson was manumitted after Ward and his wife passed away in 1822. Because of her age, Thompson's mother, also enslaved by the Wards, was to be sold with the rest of their property at auction. Thompson bought his mother's freedom. They lived together in a home he owned near Tory Corner in West Orange. Today, an historical marker can be found at this location thanks to the Downtown West Orange Alliance as a reminder of Anthony and his life here in Essex County. He died at the age of 84. You can pay Anthony's grave a visit at Rosedale Cemetery where the Montclair History Center continues to share his story during their annual tours.”

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