Discovering Historic West Windsor By Bike

Riders learn more about "War of the Worlds"Eagle Scout Paul Ligeti sent us this report on our Nov. 13 ride along the route through town that he developed, mapped and marked. About 15 people participated–a perfect size given the stops along the way for explanations of the sites.

The rescheduled inaugural ride of the West Windsor Interpretive Historic Bike Trail took place on Nov. 13. Unlike the wintry weather of the original date, we were met with a mild, pleasant fall afternoon.? I was happy to see the riders enjoy the trail, which is the result of my Eagle Scout project in West Windsor?s Troop 66 and two years of work.? The 11 mile-long trail, which I designed with historical and traffic considerations in mind, winds through much of the town. My troop and I laid red plaques in front of many historically significant sites, including the Dutch Neck Presbyterian Church, the Schenck Farmstead and Grovers Mill.

The highlight of Sunday?s ride was a stop near? Grovers Mill to hear a local resident regale us with a vivid description of the days in his youth during the infamous October 1938 War of the Worlds radio broadcast. He also recounted subsequent commemorations of the event attended by the likes of governors and the writer of the original broadcast.

Anyone interested in riding the trail, or just learning more about the history of West Windsor, is invited to check out the website http://wwhistoricbiker.weebly.com/.? As an online companion to the trail, it provides a map of the route and historical background on the sites with the markers and dozens of others, as well.

Thank you WWBPA for arranging the inaugural ride.

And thank you, Paul, for creating it!

Riders meet at the kiosk in Dutch Neck that explains the trail

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