Princeton, NJ Trip Part 7: Ghost(s) in the Historic Nassau Inn

The Nassau Inn in Princeton, NJ, home of several ghosts

In this final blog about our trip to Princeton, New Jersey, we take you to the historic Nassau Inn, where Rob ran into another ghost!

HISTORY OF THE NASSAU INN - The original Nassau Tavern at 52 Nassau Street was built in 1756 by Judge Thomas Leonard, who spent the last years of his life in view of the college he had helped to bring to Princeton. When Judge Thomas Leonard passed away in 1759, his elegant residence became a hostelry, which was called College Inn by its new owner. The Inn’s first proprietor was Christopher Beekman, who established the Inn as the center of the town's life. 


NAME CHANGE-At the turn of the 19th century, Christopher Beekman and his wife, Grace Otis Beekman, retired. John Gifford took over the hostelry, changed its name to Nassau Inn and hung a sign picturing Nassau Hall over its entrance.

ROB'S ENCOUNTER WITH A GHOST!!  - When we walked into the lobby, I (Rob) immediately got a headache indicating there was a ghost there. In fact, it was intense! The ghost was that of a man, and he was irritated. He didn't want to be found out!
He told me the year "1823" before he "pushed" me back out the door. I actually felt like he was forcing me to go, and I didn't want do put up any resistance!
I thought about the clue he gave me to his identity and realized that since the Inn was around since 1756 (which I didn't know when I went inside) it makes sense that a ghost who lived during the 1800s could be there. I get the sense that the ghost either visited in 1823 or died in the hotel in 1823. My guess is that he died in the Yankee Doodle Tap Room (part of the Inn).



Photo: The lobby where Rob encountered the male ghost from 1823

GHOSTLY ENCOUNTERS FROM OTHERS - NassuaInn.com provided the following encounters with ghosts:
At the Nassau Inn and the Yankee Doodle Tap Room, dozens of apparitions have been accounted for throughout the course of two and half centuries.

Nick Ballas, Director of Rooms at the Nassau Inn, reported on several occasions of having heard strange noises, seen bizarre figures, and, while staying overnight, witnessed a translucent woman in a white dress floating up the stairs from the 2^nd to 3^rd floor. “The fifth floor is where some of the eeriest stories come from,” remarked a front desk attendant at the Nassau Inn. “There were several instances where guests called down with concerns of hearing constant chatter from disembodied voices. A few guests also described feelings of being hugged by an invisible stranger.”
FUN FACT - Signers of the Declaration of Independence, passing through Princeton in 1776, rested at College Inn.

WHERE IS THE NASSAU INN? 10 Palmer Square, Princeton, NJ, 08542. Website: https://www.nassauinn.com/

Princeton, NJ Trip Part 6: Who is Buried in the Princeton Cemetery? (and a Funny Tombstone)

Grover Cleveland's grave

In part 6 of our trip blog to a weekend visit of Princeton, NJ, we stopped at the Princeton Cemetery and were surprised to find out who was buried there from Grover Cleveland to Aaron Burr! We also found a dead guy with a great sense of humor. 

WHAT IS THE PRINCETON CEMETERY? Princeton Cemetery is located in Princeton, New Jersey. It is owned by the Nassau Presbyterian Church. John F. Hageman in his 1878 history of Princeton, New Jersey refers to the cemetery as: "The Westminster Abbey of the United States."

PRESIDENT GROVER CLEVELAND BURIED HERE! - Grover Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th United States President, was also a New York Governor. A Democrat, he was first elected President in 1884, defeated in 1888, and reelected in 1892, becoming the only United States President to serve two non-consecutive terms. His tombstone is located here, along with his wife and daughter's tombstones. A bachelor, he was initially ill at ease with the social aspects of the job, and in June 1886, he married 21-year-old Frances Folsom; making him the first United States President to be married in the White House. To Learn More about him, visit: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/205/grover-cleveland

Aaron Burr's gravesite

REMEMBER AARON BURR? HE'S HERE - United States Vice President. After serving as a Major in the Continental Army under General George Washington in the Revolutionary War, he became a successful lawyer and politician. In 1789, he was appointed Attorney General of New York and was elected to the US Senate in 1791, serving for six years. In 1800, he became the 3rd United States Vice President in the administration of President Thomas Jefferson. Nearing the end of his term as vice president, he challenged Alexander Hamilton to a duel for besmirching his reputation. On the morning of July 7, 1804, it ended when Burr shot Hamilton to death.- Learn more here: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/151/aaron-burr

THE DEAD GUY WITH A SENSE OF HUMOR - William Hahn Jr. had a good sense of humor and it showed on his tombstone. William is buried in his large family plot. He is known for the epitaph on his flat Quebec-granite headstone saying, "I told you I was sick." Thought to be in failing health, he ordered the inscription a week or so before his death.


NEXT: The final Princeton, NJ Blog, and another ghost!

Idiot of the Week: "Have More Babies to Stop Climate Change"

The idiots just keep on coming. Here's one from Utah. This guy thinks having more babies and adding more people to the population will stop climate change (which he doesn't think is happening anyway).  It's too many PEOPLE that are the problem.
Here's what this week's Idiot had to say:

GOP SENATOR: HAVE MORE BABIES TO STOP CLIMATE CHANGE

On Tuesday, March 26, 2019, stating on the Senate floor that the only thing needed to combat climate change is for Americans to “fall in love” and have “more babies.”

Lee, who has expressed doubt before over the climate science finding that human activity is the main driver of global warming, bashed a resolution laying out the tenets of the Green New Deal. The congressional resolution was introduced by Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) last month.

On Tuesday, stating on the Senate floor that the only thing needed to combat climate change is for Americans to “fall in love” and have “more babies.” Lee, who has previously expressed doubt about the scientific consensus that human activity is the main driver of global warming, bashed a resolution laying out the tenets of the Green New Deal.

Lee concluded his nearly 15-minute speech by bizarrely claiming that the solution to almost every problem in the world is to “fall in love, get married and have some kids.”

A SENSIBLE RESPONSE: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez quickly fired back at Lee on Twitter, mocking his eyebrow-raising remarks. “If this guy can be Senator, you can do anything,” she tweeted

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

✔@AOC

Like many other women + working people, I occasionally suffer from impostor syndrome: those small moments, especially on hard days, where you wonder if the haters are right.

But then they do things like this to clear it right up.

If this guy can be Senator, you can do anything.

Waleed Shahid

✔@_waleedshahid

"The solution to climate change is not this unserious resolution...the solution to so many of our problems at all times and in all places is to fall in love, get married, and have some kids." -@SenMikeLee on @AOC and @SenMarkey's Green New Deal

This is a real quote.

139K

1:15 PM - Mar 26, 2019

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45.1K people are talking about this

My "Secrets" on Maintaining Good Weight/Shape

L to R: 1995: Chris, David, Rob (at 33 yrs) at St. Pete, FL Beach

Back in 1995, I weighed 140 pounds. today, in 2019, I weigh 139 and have more muscle. I recently met a guy from Thailand who thought I was in my mid-30s!  (Of course, he must have ignored my many smile-lines/wrinkles). :)

 When I look at a picture from 1995 (that I recently found) and look at one taken today in 2019 - I think I look as defined (maybe more toned) than I did 24 years ago. That means anyone can do it!
 
SO HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? I'm in my mid-50s and I'm not a gym nut now (but used to go in my 30s and 40s). However I do workout 3 times a week at home and do a good amount of dog walking (about twice a day). If you're in your 30s, 40s or 50s, it's not too late to maintain good health, and stay in shape. Here are my "secrets" to staying at a good weight and keeping in shape...

Rob in Jan 2019

SECRET #1: Don't over eat. It's easy to do. When you go out, eat 1/2 a sandwich. When you make a sandwich at home, make 1/2 a sandwich. - We were brought up to finish what's on the plate- so make whatever is on it, LESS!   - If you eat out with someone, split a sandwich, or a big burrito, or pizza. 

SECRET #2: Limit snacking. In the mid-morning, if I'm teleworking I have 2 pieces of toast. In the afternoon, just a handful or 2 of dried cranberries works to fill me up, with a glass of water (flavored with some cranberry juice). 

Tyler says "exercise!"

SECRET #3: Drink coffee or tea with no sugar or cream. I drink black coffee, and lots of it (some can't handle it). Coffee and tea are great for you for a couple of reasons: the caffeine gives you energy to exercise more and the light acid helps digest foods better and break down fat from the foods you eat.  **Every weekday morning for the last 52 years (Since I was 4) I've had pop tarts for breakfast and still do with my coffee. You can, too!

Rob in Dec 2018 at 56

SECRET #4: Skip a big lunch. I have a protein bar, a fiber bar and more black coffee. It fills you up. Since most people eat and go back to their desks and sit, they can't burn off the calories. So, don't consume a lot of them!
 

SECRET #5: Take the stairs.  Even if it's one flight, take the stairs. Every bit helps.


SECRET #6: Appreciate little things. Give your dog a hug, make someone smile, buy a stranger a cup of coffee who is standing in line behind you. Tell someone "thanks." What does that have to do with staying in shape? Mental fitness is part of physical fitness. 

Princeton, NJ Trip Part 5: Ghost on the Princeton Campus

The area where Rob sensed a ghost

In the fifth blog about our trip to Princeton, NJ to visit our friend Emery, I (Rob) encountered a ghost on the Princeton University campus, and we managed to get his possible identity. 

THE GHOST ON CAMPUS!  As we were walking near the store on campus, in a big open area, I (Rob) suddenly got my "ghost headache." An Earth-bound ghost walked right past me and seemed as if he were a recent addition to the campus.  I immediately told Tom that the ghost was a man and was in his 60s when he died recently.I also told them that he was a professor at Princeton... 

SOLVING THE GHOST'S IDENTITY? 
That's when Emery mentioned that days before our visit, Princeton University economics professor Alan Krueger, who served under both Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, died last weekend from suicide. He was 58. The recent death would make sense that it was him because he told me he recently returned to campus (as a ghost). The suicide may explain why he stayed behind, because people who commit suicide sometimes stay behind because they think suicide is a "sin" and they don't deserve to cross over (everyone needs to cross over). So several things here hint at the ghost's identity.

 NEXT: WHO IS BURIED IN THE PRINCETON CEMETERY"?

Princeton, NJ Trip: Part 4: Princeton University and Famous People

Rob and Tom at Princeton

Theresa and Emery

In the fourth blog about our trip to Princeton, NJ we'll take you to Princeton University where we explored the campus and learned about famous people who attended school there.

PRINCETON MAJORS - The most popular majors at Princeton University include: Engineering; Social Sciences; Biological and Biomedical Sciences; Public Administration and Social Service Professions; and History.  

WHICH PRESIDENTS WENT TO PRINCETON?   
James Madison and Woodrow Wilson are the two presidents to graduate from Princeton University. John F. Kennedy also attended Princeton for a brief period before he withdrew due to illness. Kennedy later graduated from Harvard, ranked first on the list, in the class of 1940. WEBSITE: https://www.princeton.edu/

WHAT OTHER FAMOUS PEOPLE ATTENDED PRINCETON? 

•  John Nash  from Its a Beautiful Mind
• Jimmy Stewart, actor
• Michelle Obama Writer, Lawyer. ...
• Brooke Shields Spokesperson, Television producer, Model. ..
• Ralph Nader Activist, Politician, 



A beautiful walkway on campus

• Jeff Bezos Businessperson, Entrepreneur. 
• Donald Rumsfeld, military
• Schultz (Secretary of State to Bush 1),
•  

NEXT:  THE GHOST ON CAMPUS!

Princeton, NJ Trip: Part 3: Hoagie Heaven/Clarke House/Who is Gen. Mercer?

Tom, Emery and Theresa

This is part 3 of our blogs about our visit to our friend Emery's house in Princeton, New Jersey.In this blog you'll learn about the Hoagie House, the Clarke House and the famous General Mercer.

HOAGIE HEAVEN - This is THE local place to go to get the best sandwiches in Princeton, and Emery and Theresa made sure we stopped there. Hoagie Haven was the first to serve up large hoagies in the Princeton area. With help from Italian People's Bakery, Uncle Haven demanded a larger and larger roll to fill with delicious foods. Finally, when the roll couldn't fit on the counter, they knew it was big enough.

WHERE IS IT? 244 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ. Tel. 609-921-7723
Website: http://www.hoagiehaven.com/


ANOTHER LANDMARK!
WHAT IS THE CLARKE HOUSE? Built circa 1772 this 2 story half Georgian house was part of a 200 acre farm of mostly cleared fields. Thomas Clarke, who lived there with his sisters Hannah and Sarah during the American Revolution, were members of the nearby Stony Brook Friends Meeting. 

WHO WAS HUGH MERCER?   Brigadier General Hugh Mercer, was a physician. He was appointed a Captain in 1756, commanding a company in the colony’s provincial armed forces. He was appointed to command the Flying Camp, a highly mobile reserve of militia, stationed on the central New Jersey shore to screen against the enemy on Staten Island.  Once the British Army began their march across New Jersey, a brigade was cobbled together for Mercer to lead at the Battles of Trenton, on December 26, 1776 and Princeton, on January 3, 1777.  In the latter action, General Mercer would be mortally wounded after a larger force overwhelmed him.  Lingering for several days, Hugh Mercer died on January 12, 1777.

Add caption

WHAT IS THE HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE?  Damaged by musket fire during the American Revolution's Battle of Princeton, the house was a refuge for wounded from both sides, including Brigadier General Hugh Mercer, who died here nine days later.

(Photo - Left: The Death of General Mercer at the Battle of Princeton, January 3, 1777 by John Trumbull. George Washington is the figure on the horse.) 

INFO ON HOW TO VISIT: http://www.visitprincetonbattlefield.org/visit-princeton-battlefield/clarke-house-history/

NEXT: GHOST ON THE PRINCETON CAMPUS

VIDEO TOUR OF THE PROPERTY: https://vimeo.com/202788452

Clarke House at Princeton Battlefield NJ State Park from PrincetonAerial on Vimeo.
 

An 8 Year old Minnesota boy's funny faces made him a China star

Gavin

Here's a story that was featured on BBC News, and what's ironic is that it's about a boy from the U.S., in Minnesota, who has become a "Meme" sensation in China. We had never heard of him, but his face is all over China  Here's the story and video from BBC News: 

How does an
eight-year-old from Minneapolis become so famous in China that he gets mobbed every time he visits? By pulling faces. The expressions of Gavin Thomas are used as memes in China where people are sometimes too polite to say what they really think.

2,977,765 Followers in China!

Gavin and family welcomed in China

Gavin Thomas is a 8-year-old boy from Minnesota who enjoys bacon and is preternaturally good at making goofy facial expressions. After his initial popularity on the now-defunct video-streaming app Vine, his parents started an account for him on Weibo, the Chinese counterpart of Twitter. His highly meme-able face now graces t-shirts across Asia. His mother, Kate Thomas, spoke on his behalf.
 
Video by Jimmy Tam
  


Full story: https://www.interviewmagazine.com/culture/with-a-feed-of-meme-able-faces-gavin-thomas-found-3-million-followers-in-china

Part 2: Princeton, NJ Trip: The Ghostly Corpse at Shabakunk Creek

Theresa looks at the spot where the ghost's corpse told Rob where he was buried

This is part 2 of our blogs about our visit to our friend Emery's house in Princeton, New Jersey.
 Emery's house sits along the banks of Shabakunk Creek, which was the site of the Battle of Princeton. Emery noted odd occurrences that couldn't be explained and asked us to investigate (since we're both mediums and paranormal investigators). After you learn what happened at the Creek, we'll tell you about the ghosts we encountered


 
WHAT HAPPENED AT SHABAKUNK CREEK? - On January 2, 1777, during the Second Battle of Trenton of the American Revolutionary War, soldiers of the Continental Army and supporting militias, under the direct command of General George Washington, held a defensive line along the south shore of Assunpink Creek south of Trenton, stretching from the mouth of the creek up to Philip's Mill. The American soldiers successfully repelled several charges by British and Hessian soldiers across a stone bridge over the creek, and also repelled an attempt to ford the creek near its mouth.

AMERICAN GENERAL'S MEMOIR - American General James Wilkinson, who was at the time of the Second Battle of Trenton a Major, wrote about these events in his Memoirs:

"About half a mile advanced from the northern extremity of the buildings of this place, on the old road to Princeton, there is a ravine, which crosses the road at right angles, and descends to the plain of Assanpink; on the south-western verge of this hollow, our advance party made their last stand. " 

The spot just about 6 feet from the creek

    Wilkinson mentions a mill near where the road (Lawrenceville Road-Route 206) is forded by the creek: "After forcing our advanced party, the enemy took post in our front, at about 1000 yards distance, with the intervention of the village (now city) of Trenton, and the Shabakunk Creek, which was every where fordable below the mill."

THE GHOSTS - As we walked behind Emery's house and along the creek, we sensed a lot of residual emotional energy, very likely leftover from the trauma of the war, over 240 years ago.  There seemed to be a number of intelligent haunts, or interactive ghosts walking around the creek. Water energy from the creek enabled those ghosts to linger. Many of them were shot and killed crossing the creek.

THE GHOSTLY GRAVE - When I was about 6 feet from the creek bed, I stopped at a spot and was facing the creek. I suddenly heard a British soldier tell me that he died right there. Suddenly, I felt severe pains in my lower left back. I don't know what feeling shot feels like, but it was a burning, stabbing pain, so I imagine that's what happened to him. He was shot in the back three times (perhaps with buckshot?), fell on that spot (it was likely in the creek, which was a lot wider at the time) , bled out and died there. He was trying to tell me where his body was located. It was chilling!!

EMERY'S MEMORIES CONNECT - -Emery noted that when he was a child, he would usually play near that spot. It was as if the ghost was trying to get his attention, and kept drawing him to that spot. I think the ghost wanted a proper burial for his body.

A map of the battle area/Map from 1776.  Emery's property is where the letter "A" is: 

NEXT:  The Clarke House History

Idiot of the Week: Mind The Cone Zone

 Many people do dumb things that lead to their demise making them "Darwin Award Winners." Alcohol sometimes plays a factor, sometimes alcohol isn't even needed. This is a 2018 "Darwin Award Winner from their website)  

Mind The Cone Zone

2018 Darwin Award Winner
Confirmed True by Darwin

(8 March 2018, New Jersey) A Wanaquer man died in a vehicle fire after he drove around barricade cones and onto live power wires in Franklin Lakes. A good son, Anthony G. was en-route to his father's house to shovel the driveway. After the second nor'easter storm in a week, hundreds of thousands were left without power. Utility crews worked overtime to deal with downed trees and electric lines. Traffic snarls and frustrated motorists were everywhere.
Anthony did not want to lose time to a detour! According to police, our winner simply navigated around bright orange traffic cones warning motorists of a hazardous downed wire on Route 208.
Responding to calls, officers arrived at 9AM to find the vehicle fully engulfed in flames. A live power line was sputtering in the roadway near the vehicle. The fire totally gutted the car, and the driver was pronounced dead at the scene. Ironically this Darwin Award winner was employed as a New York City electrician.

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FR09I1hTCQU

 

Part 1; Princeton, NJ Trip: The American Revolutionary War and Battle of Princeton

William Ranney's Washington Rallying the Americans at the Battle of Princeton

At the end of March, we visited our friend Emery and his girlfriend Theresa in Princeton, New Jersey, and we got a tour of the town and saw historic and haunted places. In part 1 of the Princeton Trip blog, you'll learn about a Princeton's ties to the  American Revolutionary War and the Battle of Princeton, which actually took place along a Assanpink creek that runs next to Emery's house! In fact, we sensed ghosts of soldiers there (that's he next blog!) 

WHAT WAS THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION - For those in the U.S. who need a history refresher, the American Revolutionary War, also known as the American War of Independence, was an 18th-century war between Great Britain and its Thirteen Colonies which declared independence as the United States of America.

View of the battleground near Princeton, New Jersey

WHAT WAS THE BATTLE OF PRINCETON? The Battle of Princeton was a battle of the American Revolutionary War, fought near Princeton, New Jersey on January 3, 1777 and ending in a small victory for the Colonials. 

General Lord Cornwallis had left 1,400 British troops under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Charles Mawhood in Princeton. Following a surprise attack at Trenton early in the morning of December 26, 1776, General George Washington of the Continental Army decided to attack the British in New Jersey before entering the winter quarters. 

On December 30, he crossed the Delaware River back into New Jersey. His troops followed on January 3, 1777. Washington advanced to Princeton by a back road, where he pushed back a smaller British force but had to retreat before Cornwallis arrived with reinforcements. The battles of Trenton and Princeton were a boost to the morale of the patriot cause, leading many recruits to join the Continental Army in the spring. 


NEXT: The Ghostly Corpse at Assanpink Creek 

Here's How We Cut Cable and Got Broadcast TV FREE (and you can, too)

After many years of paying the high cost of Cable TV and having to re-negotiate the cost and ask every 6 months for "special packages" to keep costs affordable we CUT the CABLE and went Broadcast for FREE. We don't miss the cable bill and we only pay for Internet. 
   Tom researched it extensively and drafted all the steps below, so YOU can do it, too!    
(Just a note, like satellite dish tv, if there are storms, the signal can get scrambled for a couple of seconds, so if you put on Closed Captioning, you can still catch all the dialog). 
Just print out Tom's instructions and follow along.

 

Tired of paying for cable TV?  We were so fed up with the exorbitant cost of our cable bill each month that we made the decision to disconnect from our local cable provider, return all of their equipment, and get over-the-air high definition television (HDTV) for free.  That’s right, at no cost.  Here’s what we did.

GE Pro Attic Mount TV Antenna,

Go to the Amazon.com website and shop for an antenna.  The cost can range from as little as $20 to as much as $70.  They’re all pretty much the same, so an antenna that costs somewhere in the middle will work just fine.  Here’s the one that we got:

GE Pro Attic Mount TV Antenna, Digital, HDTV Antenna, 4K 1080P VHF UHF, Compact Design, Mounting Pole Included, 33692

$30.39

Since we were installing the antenna inside the attic, I also ordered a signal amplifier.  You may not need one and you’ll be just fine, but I wanted to ensure that we would pick up as many free channels as possible.  You will need a power source in the attic to plug in a signal amplifier, so if you don’t have an outlet, and don’t plan on having one installed, then skip buying a signal amplifier.  Here’s the one that we got:

 

Winegard LNA-100 Boost TV Antenna Amplifier, HDTV Signal Booster, HD Digital VHF UHF Amplifier, Indoor HDTV Ultra Low Noise Amp (USB Power Supply)

$27.66

Winegard LNA-100 Boost TV Antenna Amplifier

Assemble the antenna following the manufacturer’s instructions.  It took me about an hour.  Next, install the antenna following the manufacturer’s instructions.  We mounted it upside down using the mounting pole provided, and attached it to a roof rafter.  I ran a new cable from the antenna to the location of the signal splitter installed by our cable provider.  We have 3 TVs in our house, so there is one port on the “input” side of the splitter and 3 ports on the “output” side of the splitter.  On the “input” side of the splitter, I disconnected the cable that came from the cable TV company, and installed the amplifier (the piece in the shape of a “J” in the image above).  On the other end of the amplifier, I connected the new cable that I ran from the antenna.  I didn’t have to do anything to the “output” side of the splitter.  Then I plugged the USB power cord into the amplifier, and plugged the amplifier into the outlet.  And because I have a touch of OCD, I neatly stapled all of the cables to the rafters and framing in the attic, using insulated stapes used for telecommunications wiring.  Now we’re all set.  That’s pretty much it for the installation. 

Next, you will need to determine which way to point the antenna.  This is the website I used:  http://www.overtheairdigitaltv.com/tv-station-locator-tool/

Type in your address and zip code in the prompt fields.  In the top right corner, immediately above the location map, click on “Make Radar Plot.”  The site will produce an image like this:

 

 

So for our address, most of the TV stations are located just slightly to the east of true north, and just slightly to the south of due west.  I opted to point the antenna north because it looked like there were more stations clustered in that general direction.

Next, you will need to rescan or reinitialize your TV so that it receives input signals from over the air, and not from a cable provider’s tuner box.

Once the TV has been reinitialized, it’s time to adjust the direction of the antenna.  Have someone watching the TV as you attempt to fine tune the exact direction in which to point the antenna.  Once the picture quality suits your preference, tighten the set screws on the mounting pole to fix the antenna permanently in position.    

It’s as simple as that.  You will be amazed at the picture quality, and best of all, it’s free.  No more monthly cable TV bill.