Buried deep in a swarm of thickets, the grave of James Cage is barely noticeable at first glance.
The one-time plantation owner was buried at Woodlawn Ranch Cemetery, leaving behind his wife, Susan Cage, and children, George Washington Cage and Thomas Mann Cage, Margie Scoby said.
Scoby led a plantation tour today from Southdown to Ardoyne to Orange Grove to the Woodlawn Range Cemetery and finally Barrow Plantation.
As a small group stood around, the Finding Our Roots African-American Museum president told the story of the Cage family and how former slaves like Susan Cage were brought to Terrebonne Parish. Thomas Jefferson gave Susan Cage to his daughter Martha, but she proved to be so hateful that she was sold to James Cage, who later became her husband and fathered her children.
Their son, Thomas Mann Cage would go on to save the local sugar cane industry, Scoby said, after he began planting the crop in raised mounds, rather than on flat earth.
James Cage’s tomb had a clear top, making the treasures he was buried with clearly visible, the Rev. Alvin Tillman said.
Susan Cage’s grave is also said to be at the cemetery, but it has been lost among the overgrowth.
The slaves who were brought to Terrebonne Parish in the late 19th century eventually established a long family lineage that continues today.
Members of the Finding Our Roots African American Museum in Houma traced that lineage in an effort to preserve the history of their ancestors.
“It’s important to know where your family is,” Scoby said.
As they walked through the cemetery, participants pointed out family names they recognized, including their own.
“My grandmother is buried over there, and on that side the brick tomb is my great-grandfather,” said Clarence Verdin, a former wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts and native of Bourg.
Walking through the cemetery, Verdin said he could feel the connection to his ancestors.
“It’s something I want pass down to my kids,” he said.
From the Theriots to the Trosclairs to the Socos to the Tweedys, all of these names can be traced back to the early slave days in Terrebonne Parish.
Some of their stories can also be found in Octavia Albert’s book, “The House of Bondage.”
Scoby said the collection of slave narratives is like a Bible to her. The book, published after Albert’s death, includes the story of one of the most recognized slaves in history.
Although many people don’t know his name, George’s photograph with his back covered in scars from lashings hangs in almost every slave museum in the country, Scoby said.
There are many stories from the Terrebonne area that can be linked to one another, and to Albert.
James Cage is said to have once owned a slave who fathered a child with General Robert E. Lee’s father, Henry Lee. She named the son Coleman Lee. He grew up with a good education and later told his story to Albert after speaking at a convention in New Orleans.
Scoby said she hopes to continue the tours as part of the museum and bring in more young people to trace their roots.
For information about the museum, call 262-0407. The museum is located at 918 Roussel St., Houma.
Staff Writer Julia Arenstam can be reached at 448-7636 or julia.arenstam@houmatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter at @gingerale214.