I was reading Gabriel Longo’s autobiography (“Spoiled Priest”), and came upon a very interesting passage. While Longo was a student at a Roman Catholic seminary, he came upon a group of people, living in the woods, in the Ramampo Mountains of northern NJ. In hi words:
“they were called the “Jackson Whites”…history had passed them by;they lived in the Ramapo Mountains, descendents of criminals and convicts, refugees from the Revolutionary War, Hessian deserters…slaves, and indians”. Longo even described seeing a funeral, with the body transported by a travois (drag).
Are there really such people hiding out in the wilds of NJ?
Their origins are disputed but they are real:
“Hiding out” seems like the wrong the wrong term, they are slightly isolated rural poor people (less isolated now than 20-30 years ago, of course) who are no more hiding out than hillbillies in Appalachia. Same stories of crime, inbreeding, etc attached themselves to this group as to any isolated people. Take it with a grain of salt.
“Halfbreeds?”
Dude. The 1860s called, they want their racist lingo back.
Jeeze, Claire, what are you, some kind of octoroon?
An offenseisensitivitist?
I lived in northern NJ and yes, they were known as the Jackson Whites. There’s a book about them called The Ramapo Mountain People.
The Jackson Whites are but one example of what are sometimes called “tri-racial isolates” of which the Melungeons are probably the most well-known. The Wikipedia article on the Melungeons has a list of other such groups. The origins of some of these groups are hotly contested among genealogists and other interested parties.
I’m descended from a mixed-race group in Virginia known locally as Ramps but who have some connections to the Melungeons. I’ve speculated whether the name “Ramps” might be related to Ramapo Mountains. Many of these “isolated” groups are actually connected.
ralph, did this priest by chance go to the seminary in Mahwah?
I grew up a town away from their general location (I grew up next to Mahwah), and knew some of the family members back then. Nice folks, really. I always got the impression they were normal people getting caught up in the crosshairs of everyone else’s gossip. I really do feel that the suburbs wanted a “freakshow” and these families were the perfect blend of “isolated”, “inbred”, and “hillbilly.” :rolleyes:
Anyway, they’re not unlike any other enclave of people in Northern New Jersey–the Jewish folks in Fair Lawn, Lodi, and Teaneck (who lately duked it out with their respective town coucils regarding harmless eruvs), the Russian and Polish in Garfield and Elmwood Park, and a blend of other nationalities.
So yes, the group does exist, but they’re not the “inbred freaks.” Dude, it’s just an enclave of similar people from a similar culture. Dopers have already posted links I was gonna add. It’s just unfortunate they’re in the news as of late due to a recent shooting–a man was killed over a serious misunderstanding between some picnickers and NJ “Park Police”.
Tripler
They ain’t freaks. They’re normal folk.
Please defend the use of “halfbreed.”
Seriously. I’m interested in what context you’d think its use appropriate.
A Cher concert?
Ok, seriously, did I say it was? It’s a dated term, certainly on the rude side, with mid-level racist connotations. My response was simply a reaction to Claire hyperbole. Somehow, I think people were using the term in general conversation past the 1860’s. It’s the kind of reaction that makes one suspect the person in question might just enjoy coming across things in which they can find offense.