CNJ+ February 2023

THE WAR OF THE WORLDS: The Story of How Americans Bought Into a Martian Panic By, Surabhi Ashok

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One fateful evening back in 1938, ironically the day before Halloween, the story of a Mar tian invasion was broadcasted on radio for Americans all across the country to hear. H.G. Well’s story, War of the Worlds, was irrational ly believed by so many people that it caused widespread hysteria and paranoia. The reason for why so many people believed the story can be attributed to script writer Howard Kosh, who used the strategies of radio reports of the Hindenburg disaster from the year before to rewrite the sci-fi novel War of the Worlds as a dramatic breaking news item aired on the Mercury Theatre on the Air. Just as the Hindenburg airship accident occurred in Manchester, New Jersey, Kosh, by randomly pointing his pencil on a map of New Jersey,

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decided to make the invasion from Mars occur in a farm town named Grovers Mill. Orson Welles, the man who relayed the story on air, actu ally admitted that he thought that people tuned in would be bored from listening to such an improbable tale. However, that was clearly not the case. Although most citizens of Grovers Mill could see for themselves that nothing out of the ordinary was occurring, others were driving into town in order to fight these supposed Martians themselves. This caused some havoc in Grovers Mill that night, despite the invasion being debunked the very next day. For example, an old wooden water tower was allegedly shot in a moment of panic when some people thought it to be an extra terrestrial. This tower is still standing today. This entire moment was officially memorialized in 1988, when the community of Grovers Mill hired artist Thomas Jay Warren to build the Martian Landing Site Monument for its 50th anniversary. The 7.5-foot bronze sculpture depicts Orson Welles talking into a microphone with a pipe in his hand while a family listens at the edge of their seats on the other side of the radio. Looming above is a tentacled Martian that vague ly resembles a water tower. This monument, while strange and one of a kind, truly reflects the panic that had swept through people’s homes. Garnering a lot of excitement and attention, the Martian Landing Site Monument, surrounded by bushes and other greenery in Van Nest Park, attracted a big crowd at its unveiling, including New Jersey’s governor at the time and Howard Koch. A four-day celebration followed, complete with a parade and a “Martian Panic” bicycle race. Even now, Grovers Mill calls back to their minute of fame. The West Windsor Arts Council celebrates the anniversary every year, having even built a Martian “Scoutship” sculpture out of recycled materials in tribute to Welles’ radio broadcast. In addition, Grovers Mill Coffee Co centers their theme around War of the Worlds memorabilia and serves “out of-this-world coffee.” All of this can be found in the township of West Windsor. Other than a story to remember, the “Martian Panic” also reminds us of journalistic responsibility and the power that the media continues to have over millions of people at a time. Source: https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2749

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FEBRUARY 2023