William Still (1821 - 1902), born in in the Pine Barrens forest of Burlington County, New Jersey, was an African-American abolitionist and author. His parents were both ex-slaves and William was their eighteenth child. Often called "The Father of the Underground Railroad", he helped as many as 60 slaves a month escape to freedom, interviewing each person and keeping careful records, including a brief biography and the destination of each person, along with any alias that they adopted. During one interview of an escapee, it was discovered that the man was his own brother. They had been separated since childhood, and his brother knew little about the rest of his family. Still later published The Underground Railroad, which chronicles how he helped 649 slaves escape to freedom via the Underground Railroad.
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