William Van Rensalier (1834-1904) was age sixteen and the only child living with his parents Peter and Hannah Van Rensalier in Spring Valley, a community in the town of Ramapo, Rockland County, New York in the 1850 federal census. His race was Black and he was noted as a laborer.16 Ten years later, at the time of the 1860 census, William was living in the home of Josiah Huntoon and his family in Paterson, New Jersey and listed with the profession of engineer. The 1861 Paterson City Directory places Van Rensalier living independently at 71 Division Street in Paterson, where he remained through most of the 1860s. His profession is listed as “engineer” but no employer is noted in those directory entries. He married Hester Van Wyck (1840-1934) on May 26, 1864, in St. Paul’s Anglican Episcopal Church. The extent and duration of the connection between Van Rensalier and Huntoon is the subject of detailed account by family descendant Dolores Van Rensalier whose research and family tradition confirms the wedding date for William and Hester, the deed of gift of the house at 71 Division Street to the newlyweds by Huntoon, as well as his work as a conductor on the Underground Railroad. Huntoon may also have sent Van Rensalier to Canada to study engineering. William died in 1904 and Hester followed thirty years later in 1934. Her obituary told her story, including that she was born on March 30, 1840 and came to Paterson at age sixteen to work in the Cataract Silk Mill. It also lists two surviving children, John Van Rensalier, who was noted to be a famous musician and Ida May Huggs, who lived at 288 Governor Street in Paterson.
Family descendant, Dolores Van Rensalier, became an important activist working to preserve this site. She discovered her family’s connection to the Paterson Underground Railroad network through genealogical research on a journey to reconnect to her roots from her home in California. She is granddaughter of William and Hester’s youngest child, John T. Van Rensalier, a noted pianist who served in WWI. A picture of John T. Van Rensalier was used as a basis for the image of the statue by sculptor Ed Dwight. Ms. Van Rensalier wrote a book about her journey and serves as president of the Huntoon-Van Rensalier Underground Railroad Foundation which was established to preserve and fundraise to develop this property.