Then Board of Education Member and Chair of School Renamiing Committee Dorothy Carty-Daniel at the rededication ceremony of Number 1 School which was renamed the Thomas Mundy Peterson School *Article & Photo from Front Page Home News Tribune October 23, 1989 – Courtesy of Dorothy Carty-Daniel
Thomas Mundy Peterson was interviewed by the local newspaper regarding his historic vote. As reported in that article, Thomas Mundy Peterson had no intention of voting that day. It was because of white residents who advised him to exercise his right to vote. Once Peterson knew that the 15th Amendment had been ratified, he decided vote. Years later, he would be awarded a medal from the citizens of Perth Amboy, for his mark on history. Not only that, he became active in local politics and proudly served as a member of the Republican party.
In October 1989, Resident Dorothy Carty-Daniel was the main speaker at a ceremony to rename Public School No. 1 as the Thomas Mundy Peterson Elementary School. As a member of the Perth Amboy Board of Education at the time, she is the one who found out about Thomas Mundy Peterson’s historic vote and approached Frank Sinatra, who was the then Superintendent of Perth Amboy Schools to have this done. He was more than glad to do so. The other Board of Education members unanimously voted in favor of honoring Thomas Mundy Peterson by having his name on the school where he was a custodian from 1871-1877. In attendance at the ceremony were several schoolchildren, residents, and government officials.
When Dorothy Carty-Daniel was speaking, in front of her was a large portrait of Thomas Mundy Peterson that was later placed inside of the school. Daniel was quoted as saying, “Memorials are often tributes to lives that symbolized an idea, philosophy or effort to correct injustice. I look on the life of Thomas Mundy Peterson as one that symbolized the fulfillment of the dreams and hopes of millions, the cure of philosophical cancer that was and unfortunately still is in some people that we all fear.” Daniel saluted Peterson for who he was and what he stood for.
Superintendent Sinatra said, “It will instill pride to the children of Perth Amboy.” Former Superintendent of Schools Austin Gumbs portrayed Thomas Mundy Peterson at the ceremony.
For many years, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church and The Proprietary House Organization would hold a fundraiser called “Cemetery Alive” where actors portrayed historic figures from Perth Amboy that were buried either in St. Peter’s Church cemetery, other Perth Amboy cemeteries, or who lived in Perth Amboy and gave significant historic contributions. Thomas Mundy Peterson was one of those figures who was portrayed.
On June 14, 2013 there was an unveiling of a plaque in front of Thomas Mundy Peterson School. The Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders and Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission had announced the continuation of the Historic Marker Project. The Freeholders’ initiative gifts historic markers to local historic sites and communities throughout Middlesex County. The Cultural and Heritage Commission is coordinating the project on behalf of the Freeholders. The Thomas Mundy Peterson maker was one of those markers. This was done through cooperation with the PAHPC.
Unfortunately, Thomas Mundy Peterson fell into hard times, and he had to pawn his precious medal for financial reasons. After he died, it was auctioned off and it was bought by Xavier University where it is still located today.
Dot Daniel was so taken by Thomas Mundy Peterson’s historic vote that she persuaded Xavier University in Louisiana to loan Thomas Mundy Peterson’s medal to be displayed for the public to view at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Rector Street under heavy guard on June 3, 2017.
In 2018, the Perth Amboy Historic Commission under Chair Reinaldo Aviles was instrumental in getting the large pictorial plaque that was unveiled in a ceremony in June 2018 at St. Peter’s Church and it hangs proudly in its final place on the wall in City Hall Council Chambers where Thomas Mundy Peterson cast his historic vote. Local business Buckeye donated a large portion of the money for the plaque after a request from Reinaldo Aviles. Historic Commissioner Anna Daily was the driving force to get that plaque completed.
At the 3/6/17 caucus meeting, there was a presentation made by PAHPC Chair Reinaldo Aviles and Historic Commissioner Anna Daily who gave an update on the Thomas Mundy Peterson plaque showing an artist rendering, the size and the wording. At the end of the presentation, Council President Petrick stated the council is 100% support of what the HPC was doing and keep the momentum going. Councilman Helmin Caba congratulated Perth Amboy and the HPC on the great job they did getting the Thomas Mundy Peterson plaque. “But we still should consider naming the county park after Peterson and getting a monument for him, also.”
Fast Forward to 2021. The County Commissioners named the new county park in Perth Amboy the Thomas Mundy Peterson Park. Former Mayor Wilda Diaz had fought hard to get the county to build the park on the former site of Duane Marine and the Cableworks, which suffered a massive fire on July 9, 1980, that burned for over a week.
At the time that the county was looking to turn that property into a park, it was owned by Perth Amboy Developer Barry Rosengarten. When the park was officially dedicated on September 25, 2021, Rosengarten was in attendance. Director of the Board of County Commissioners Ron Rios was instrumental in getting the park built. Former Mayor Wilda Diaz wanted the land to be a park for residents to enjoy. This was to fill the need of additional recreational parks needed for the population of Perth Amboy.
If you go to www.amboyguarian.com just search Thomas Mundy Peterson you will see many different churches, groups and individuals who honored Thomas Mundy Peterson in several different ways. It is hard to list them all, but we’d like to thank everyone individually or collectively in the past, present and any future endeavors to keep Perth Amboy’s history alive and give it national attention it deserves.
So, as you can see, Perth Amboy was progressive in the 1800’s, the 1900’s and the 2000’s.
So, now we almost come to a full circle. The plan for the PAHPC to further expand Perth Amboy’s history as one of the focal points of Thomas Mundy Peterson known nationwide. This includes a statue of Thomas Mundy Peterson.
C.M. & K.M.
