Owning New Jersey

"New Jersey's land records and deeds are unlikely sources for a thrilling tale but reveal little-known, fascinating history. A detailed story of the founding of the Garden State 350 years ago is preserved in these papers. The state's boundaries were drawn in such documents centuries ago, even if the authors never stepped foot in North America. The archives hide heroes, like the freed African Americans who fought for their right to own their piece of the state. And of course, there are the bizarre and mysterious tales, like the silk baron's castle and the assault against a sixteen-year-old maiden during the throes of the American Revolution. Join land title expert Joseph Grabas as he combs through these all-but-forgotten stories of the pursuit of happiness and property in early New Jersey"--

Joe Grabas is a nationally certified land title professional who has researched real property records in New Jersey for thirty years. He is the state's leading land title educator and former president of the New Jersey Land Title Association. He founded the Grabas Institute for Continuing Education to bring historically based research to the title, legal, real estate and insurance professions. He serves on the Monmouth County Historical Commission, the New Jersey Tidelands Resource Council and lectures widely. Owning New Jersey is the winner of the New Jersey Studies Academic Alliance Authors Award for Nonfiction