Undoubtedly, New Jersey is a proud state with natives who would defend it with their last breath. The Garden State is definitely rich in history, but there are a few facts that even New Jersey natives don’t seem to be aware of, which is what our New Jersey group transportation service specialists would like to discuss in this post.
Our concierge bus rental service in New Jersey has been operating in this magnificent state for years now and recently we asked ourselves, just how do we know our state? So we decided to go digging and find history and facts about the Garden State that are not exactly common knowledge. Here is what we found out.
The Birth of the ‘Garden State’ Nickname
Most historical accounts credit Abraham Browning with coining the nickname, ‘The Garden State’. Legend has it that he described New Jersey as a barrel of delicacies open at both sides, with Pennsylvania taking from one end and New York from the other; this was at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition of 1876. Some historians, however, don’t believe he deserves the credit because Benjamin Franklin is also said to have made a similar comparison of the State. The New Jersey Website, on the other hand, states that there is no definitive explanation for the origin of the nickname. I guess we will never know for sure.
Water Expiration
A law passed in 1987 demanded that all consumable products sold within the state indicate an expiration date of no more than two years from the date of manufacture. Since bottled-water companies couldn’t very well detach themselves from the New Jersey market, they decided to simply mark their water bottles with a 2-year expiration date from the day it left the plant, no matter where the water was being shipped. So if you find an expiration date on your next bottle of water, even beyond the state, recognize that that’s New jersey’s fault.
Gas Pumping
Another interesting fact worth noting is that New Jersey is now the only state in the U.S that doesn’t allow its residents to pump their own gas. Before this year it was one of two states, but Oregon started allowing its citizens to pump their own gas as of January 1st this year. This is courtesy of a law passed in 1949 that stated that it was in the interest of public safety that gas station attendants be the only ones allowed to pump gas to ensure compliance with safety procedures.
Monopoly Street Names
Who doesn’t love monopoly? Well, if you enjoy the board game as much as we do, you may find it interesting to know that the game is set in 1929 Atlantic City. While the street names in Atlantic City may not be the same as they were back in 1929, that is where the game was created. If you head over to the city, you will find countless versions of the game and that is because of their historical connection.
