Grover's Mill Before the Martian Invasion

The beachhead of Orson Welles' martian invasion, Grover’s Mill, has far more to its story than enshrinement in the history of radio drama. The village grew around its mill.

No records are recorded of the original builder, but the first recorded owner was Daniel Wolsey. The mill passed through a succession of owners until March 31, 1868, when it was purchased by Joseph Grover.

At one time or another all the properties in the village were owned by the Grover family, whose dominance in the area erased many names once associated to the businesses and places in the community.  

In 1776, the pond was known as Bergen’s Pond, then Bear Pond and Bear Mill, Schwenger’s Mill Pond and finally Grover’s Mill Pond. The pond was used to power the mill and as a recreational location for swimming, ice skating and ice cutting until 1934.

Presidents Grover Cleveland and Woodrow Wilson are said to have fished there, both of whom were friends of Walter Grover. In the 1930s, the mill handled work for many local farms, including Walker Gordon Farm in Plainsboro, supplying feed.

The mill was known as a full roller mill, which took eight employees to operate at this point, using water and electricity to power the mill.  No one in town could have known the notoriety Orson Welles was about to bring to the sleepy village.