Haunted Cranford History Tour is back for a second year

By Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta Correspondent

Downtown Cranford was hopping during a recent crisp autumn evening. Some things were typical of a Saturday night in Cranford, such as dining out and shopping. Others, not so typical, included the creepy Haunted Cranford History Tour.

Back for its second year, the Haunted Cranford History Tour took groups of people of all ages throughout Downtown Cranford to hear costumed actors tell the stories of the town’s famous and infamous who made special appearances from the world beyond.

Jane McLaughlin, of Branchburg, is the mastermind behind the tours. Her company, Haunted History Productions, put it all together. “Everybody loves Halloween and looks for something different to do,” she said.

McLaughlin has been doing the tours for the past 15 years in towns throughout New Jersey, including Woodbridge, Sommerville, Bernardsville and East Brunswick. “It’s a labor of love and a lot of work,” she said.

The process of writing a script takes about a year. McLaughlin speaks with town historians and tries to pick eight people from the town who made a contribution. “Is there anything special about their life that makes them an interesting character?” While historical facts are real, McLaughlin gets to embellish their personalities. “If nobody knows [their personality], I give them one,” she said. “When I’m writing a story, if they still have living ancestors, I try my best to honor that person. I try to get it just right.”

The enjoyable tour took a little more than 60 minutes and featured several interesting and spooky characters. Caren Demyen, director of Downtown Management Corp., said, “We had a lot of great feedback.”

The tours began at 5:30 p.m., with the last tour at 8 p.m. Every 15 minutes, a new tour began. Groups were large, with about 30 people in each group, led by guides. Everyone walked at a brisk pace, trekking throughout the downtown area until they reached a different character at each spot.

The first “ghost” on the tour was the ghost of Fannie Bates, who was known as The Mother of Cranford. She lived in Cranford during the late 19th and early 20th centuries and became a widow shortly after moving into town. She was a strong woman who did a lot for the community, including creating Cranford’s library and getting rid of the

See HISTORY, Page 14

Above left, the ghost of Fannie Bates, known as The Mother of Cranford, speaks to people taking the Haunted Cranford History Tour on Saturday, Oct. 21.

Above right, the ghost of Maggie, wife of Ernest E. Tyree, manager of the Cranford Stars, has a story to tell as well. At left, the ghost of Carrie Brown, alleged victim of Jack the Ripper, speaks of how the legendary killer may just have crossed the Atlantic to pay her a visit.

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1. Friday, Nov. 24 – Black Friday;

2. Saturday, Dec. 23 – Super Saturday;

3. Saturday, Dec. 16 – Third Saturday in December;

4. Friday, Dec. 22 – Friday before Christmas;

5. Saturday, Nov. 25 – Saturday after Black Friday;

6. Tuesday, Dec. 26 – Boxing Day;

7. Saturday, Dec. 9 – Second Saturday in December;

8. Saturday, Dec. 2 – First Saturday in December;

9. Saturday, Dec. 30 – Saturday after Christmas; and

10. Sunday, Dec. 17 – Sunday before

Christmas Eve.

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“Finding meaningful, fun and trendy gifts for friends and family is one of the best parts of the holiday season, especially when you have insights that will help you stretch your budget and shop with minimal stress,” says Field.

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