Celebrate National New Jersey Day With 1999 Quarters

I'll join in on this party (I was born in Dover NJ back when JFK was still alive.)

And here we are in Phoenix AZ with temp nearing 120 degrees and we pump our own gas.. (lets try to not spill any on the 170 degree tarmac.)

Yes, being born and bred in NJ, that's the only thing I knew for the first 30 years of my life. When I moved to VT, it was a revelation to be responsible for pumping my own gas. I admit I was scared at first--what happens if something goes wrong? I've now lived in New England (VT then MA) for 34 years and am used to it, of course. But in May I went back to Joisey for my cousin's 75th birthday party and let me tell you, it felt odd to stay seated in the car while someone else took on the pumping duties.

Another thing NJ is famous for: the Orson Welles radio drama, "War of the Worlds." His adaptation of the 1898 H. G. Welles novel was broadcast on October 30, 1938 (the day before Halloween) and tells the story of Martians coming to Earth to destroy humanity. H. G. Welles had the Martians landing in the town of Surrey (southeast England); this was changed by Orson Wells in his drama to Grover's Mill, NJ.

If you don't know about it, the broadcast caused an uproar throughout the country because even though several announcements were made that the show was a dramatic reading, a lot of folks thought that the invasion was real and panic ensued.

I know all about this because while I was born in Princeton, I grew up in Grover's Mill. It's a very small unincorporated community about four miles from Princeton in the township of West Windsor. It's really nothing more than a three-way intersection with a stop sign (they recently added a traffic light). The Mill itself--which is at the corner--dates back to the American Revolution. It's been said that some of the Hessian soldiers (German mercenaries who served the British) slept in the mill during nearby battles.

At one point the Mill was a bus stop for the kids who lived on my street. During the winter, we'd stay inside the office and look at all the fishing gear for sale. An older gentleman named Bill was always happy to accommodate us. In the warm months, the other side of the Mill had a stream that we'd go down to look at and try to see frogs and fish.


Every Halloween when I was growing up, the local papers would do stories about the drama. I recall one stock photo they always ran of an old-timer carrying a shot gun who threatened "to shoot the Martians if they ever returned."

In fact, there is a big house at the end of my street that is across another street from the Mill, and in the back yard is an old wooden water tower. It's rumored that if you look closely, you can see bullet holes from where it was shot because the local farmers thought it was a Martian spacecraft.


I was unaware of this day honoring NJ; well, I know now for next year! Even though I haven't lived in NJ for a while, I still consider it home.

Lived there for years and never waited for an attendant, was never stopped. I've even done it in Medford and Evesham Townships with police cars right there gassing up next to me. No one cares.

I played ball (catch) with Jack. You see my Grandmother had a small Bungalow house on a corner of here 11.5 acre property, she rented it out to a woman that had 3 daughters my age that I on occasion Jack would visit - as it turned out those 3 girls were nieces of Jack.. On one day he (jack) saw me just tossing up the ball in the air and trying to catch it, well he came over and we tossed it for a while.

Speaking of New Jersey and Bon Jovi... here's an image link to one of the rest/service areas on the Garden State Parkway.

https://www.nj.com/resizer/SqGoumSR...S7BRLPSM.jpg