Psyche!

True story:

When I was a kid, my older sister and I would be taken to visit our Uncle John on Walnut Road in Vineland. Uncle John lived right next door to the Verona Custard Stand.



Time after time, the visit would conclude with goodbyes and a drive past "the Verona," but not a stop. So, my sister hatched a plan to change things.



She told me after a visit we would wait until Dad pulled out of Uncle John's driveway and then we'd chant, "We want custard! We want custard!" until he stopped.



Soon came the fateful day. After we climbed into the car and the engine was started, my sister whispered the cue: "Okay, one ... two ... three ..." And, I, as loud as I could, shouted "WE WANT ....!!!"



And my sister? She said absolutely nothing! Good one, Lisa.



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The International Dairy Foods Association points out on its website, idfa.org, that "the first official account of ice cream in the New World comes from a letter written in 1744 by a guest of Maryland Governor William Bladen.



"The first advertisement for ice cream in this country appeared in the New York Gazette on May 12, 1777, when confectioner Philip Lenzi announced that ice cream was available 'almost every day.'"

John Harrison, official taster for Edy's Grand Ice Cream, shows his technique. His tastebuds are insured for $1 million.

According to the site, "Until 1800, ice cream remained a rare and exotic dessert enjoyed mostly by the elite. Around 1800, insulated ice houses were invented. Manufacturing ice cream soon became an industry in America, pioneered in 1851 by a Baltimore milk dealer named Jacob Fussell."

And, the association notes that it was the "wide availability of ice cream in the late 19th century led to new creations."

According to thenibble.com, credit for the invention of frozen custard should go to Archie C. Kohr "who re-configured an ice cream machine in 1919 and added eggs to the recipe to create a light and fluffy product that 'tasted just like a custard.' He was a big success at Coney Island in New York City, and while he did not become a household name, Kohr Brothers is still selling frozen custard made from Archie's original recipe, and has stores in 10 states."



The website goes on to note that it was in 1934, when soft-serve ice cream became "a thing." According to the site, it was on Memorial Day weekend of that year when Tom Carvel, who sold ice cream from the back of his vending truck, got a flat tire in Hartsdale, N.Y; his ice cream started to melt, so he sold it partially melted. "It was a huge hit and soft ice cream was born..."

Whether you prefer hard ice cream, the soft-serve variety or custard, there are plenty of places in the Garden State to get your fix.

Here's a gallery of vintage photos of ice creams shops and stops in New Jersey. Be sure to click on the captions button to read more about these photos.

Coming soon: hotels and motels. From the largest and fanciest to the roadside bungalows, New Jersey had and has plenty of places to stay. If you have photos of hotels, motels and inns taken before 1986 you'd like to share we'd love to see them and possibly use them in a gallery or Glimpse of History. Email your jpgs to ghatala@starledger.com.



