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‘The Last Slave’ of Queens: Department of Records uncovers life of George Rex who froze to death in Brooklyn

NYC Department of Records researchers uncovered the story of George Rex, officially designated 'The Last Slave,' who froze to death in Brooklyn in 1885 at age 89.

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A man named George Rex, identified in official records as “The Last Slave,” froze to death in Brooklyn in 1885 at age 89, according to research shared by the New York City Department of Records.

Entry 983 in the death ledger for Newtown, Queens (1881-1897) lists Rex’s occupation simply as “The Last Slave”—a designation that has prompted Department of Records researchers to investigate his life and the broader history of slavery in Queens and Brooklyn.

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