Parking a baby on Race Street in Frenchtown was a poor choice, but it does make for an interesting photo. (Can you spot the National Hotel in the background?) Anyhow, about the historical walking tour: It is Saturday, Oct. 29, at 2 p.m. and it consists of lots of true stories of old Frenchtown, plus a couple that might be true.
I’ll tell you about the banker who outsmarted himself (1926); the truck that hit a hotel and spilled a drink (1984); why Aaron Burr never slept here (1806); a bank robbery foiled by a woman's screams (1873); gunplay in the drug store (1939); Tippoo the killer elephant (1869); why the A&P opened a day late (1922); the deadly boiler explosion and George Hummer's narrow escape (1879); a lunch-break electrocution (1888); and a little tale of small-town benevolence (circa 1915).
The tour costs $15, and it’s free for teenagers.
If you are interested, send an email to RickEpstein@yahoo.com so I can tell you where we’ll meet. If no one emails, I’ll stay home and help my TV friends solve terrible crimes.
After this, the tours will resume in April. For more information about Rick Epstein’s Frenchtown Walking Tours, visit www.rickepstein.wixsite.com/frenchtownnjtours.