Student carves his own piece of history 19-year-old being named Jamesburg’s town historian BY SETHMANDEL Staff Writer PHOTOSBY FARRAH MAFFAI staff Clockwise from top — Tom Bodall, in front of the Lincoln carriage at the Buckelew Mansion, has taken a great interest in the borough’s past, creating three Web sites and a walking tour. The trunk of James Buckelew, the town’s namesake, is on display. The original kitchen in the mansion has been restored. Tom Bodall is ready to put Jamesburg back on the map. A borough resident since he was 5, Bodall has created three Web sites for the borough, along with a walking tour of Jamesburg and a tour of the historic Buckelew Mansion. Last night, he was expected to be named town historian. And he’s only 19 years old. "It all originally began when I started doing the Web site for the schools," Bodall said. "That’s when Jamesburg came into my life, more than just living here and being a part of the town." That Web site is www.jamesburgborough.org, a school district Web site, which Bodall created in 1998. In 2000, Bodall introduced www.jamesburg.net, a town business directory, and this past year he started www.jamesburghistory.com, a site devoted to the town’s past. Bodall said that while writing monthly feature articles for the business directory, which businesses can join for $65 a year, he often came across old pictures of the town. "The more I found, the more interested I became," he said. He added that he never realized how significant the history of his hometown was, and decided to educate others as well. "By being historian, I hope to promote history, promote Jamesburg, maybe bring to light what we need to preserve and why we need to preserve things," he said. It should come as no surprise that Bodall is involved in the town. His mother is the Jamesburg PTA president and his father is on the Board of Education. Bodall attends Rowan University in Glassboro, where he is studying civil engineering. He plans to remain in Jamesburg after school. Bodall has a desire to become more involved in the town after college, partly inspired by the story of James Buckelew, the town’s namesake, and how Buckelew transformed the town as soon as he moved in. "He built up this town to become a powerhouse for industry, transportation and education," Bodall said. Before Buckelew arrived in what is now Jamesburg, Bodall noted, it was merely a sleepy drive-through, yet Buckelew transformed it into a notable, distinguished locale. "Through most of the 20th century, it was a very important town," confirmed Jamesburg Historical Association member Ron Becker. "It had two railroads going through it, it was the center of commerce for southern Middlesex County, [and] it had the only high school in southern Middlesex County. So, it was a very significant town." According to Bodall, Jamesburg was also the first place to can tomatoes and ship them worldwide. "They sent them to President [James K.] Polk and, I believe, the Queen of England, and when they opened them up, they tasted fresh," Bodall said. Becker said that Buckelew also established the area’s railroad, bank and farms, as well as holding the exclusive contract to provide mules to the Delaware-Raritan Canal. "His mules were considered to be the best in the United States," Becker said. Bodall said that many residents are unaware of Buckelew’s accomplishments, and that the town has been very concerned with appearing modern, sometimes at the expense of its historic structures. "I think people are starting to realize that we’re building new houses, we’re building new stores, but our heritage and our past is where we came from and you need to preserve that," he said. "It’s going too fast," he added. "We’re not doing enough to preserve and look back at where we’ve come from." Bodall said the town faces a constant struggle to balance the attention it devotes to its past and the effort it invests in its future, both of which, Bodall said, are equally important. "It’s progress versus history," he said. That is why Bodall produced the walking tour guide, which was originally available only on jamesburghistory.com. When the Historical Association wanted to update its own version of the tour, Bodall volunteered his guide and his services. "He had the walking tour, and it was ideal for the Historical Association to promote the town," Becker said. Becker said the tour begins and ends at the Buckelew Mansion, which is also home to the Historical Association, and "marks out 31 significant sites in the borough." "Most of the people in town today don’t realize its history or the significance of some of these buildings in town," Becker said. "So that’s the whole purpose of the tour book." After the new booklet was printed, Bodall wanted to expand its audience, and he began selling the books to local businesses. It is now available for purchase in five locations, including Barbara’s Antiques and Fiddleheads Restaurant. But Bodall wants people to know that Jamesburg’s charm lies not only in its past, but in its present as well. "Jamesburg is a very unique community. We’re your Hometown, U.S.A. kind of place," he said. He added that the town has a lot to offer visitors as well as residents. "People think Jamesburg is just kind of the ‘doughnut hole’ of Monroe, but we have a lot of stuff to be proud of," he said. Bodall hopes residents of neighboring towns will visit Jamesburg on Buckelew Day, an annual celebration in honor of an Agricultural fair Buckelew used to organize, usually to introduce new products to local farmers and businessmen. This year’s festival will take place Sept. 11, from 1 to 5 p.m., and will include historic exhibits, games, tours of the Buckelew Mansion, Civil War re-enactments, and trolley tours that will follow the walking tour booklet. Although Bodall wants area residents to "learn the significance of the big, white building across from Dunkin’ Donuts [the Buckelew Mansion]," he hopes residents will embrace recent history as well. He said that being attentive to town history means "not just preserving the 1800s, but preserving Jamesburg as it is today." That’s why Bodall has begun putting together a scrapbook of newspaper articles on Jamesburg, and has been requesting business cards from local businesses. "Every day that passes is history," he said. "All history is important." As for the future of the town, Bodall said that it’s "on the upswing" and it can once again be attractive to travelers. "We once were a resort town," he said. "I think Jamesburg could be known for its lake again, its shops, its old historic homes." To Bodall, nothing seems out of reach for the town. With the proper effort, he said, "Who knows what may happen?"