James “Jimmy Stink" Collins Johnson was born a slave in Maryland in 1816. In 1839, he escaped to Princeton, where he lived and worked for 63 years–even though his master found him and a jury said the law required him to return. Pictured here with an unknown young man ca. 1890.Princeton Archives.

James “Jimmy Stink" Collins Johnson was born a slave in Maryland in 1816. In 1839, he escaped to Princeton, where he lived and worked for 63 years–even though his master found him and a jury said the law required him to return. Pictured here with an unknown young man ca. 1890.Princeton Archives.

Posted Aug 31, 2025, 12:14 AM UTC

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