Haunted Woods
For generations, Jerseyites have shared tales of a mysterious monster that haunts the remote woods and swamps of New Jersey. What is this creature? Where did it come from? Why New Jersey? Why
not Vermont or Delaware or Colorado for that matter? Why does it terrify the people of south Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania? What makes it so slippery? After generations of avoiding the camera lens and capture, this monster has made a recognizable name for itself.
Pine Barrens
Pine Barrens had been a remote area for many years, and over time, it went through some changes. It was this anomalous region where word first filtered out about the periodic forays of the afore mentioned strange creature. For 240 years countless stories of it circulated throughout south Jersey and have been passed on from one generation to the next.
As a story can be enriched by the one telling it, details will change, but the one thing that is constant with the residents of Pine Barren is the legend of the creature. It regularly terrorized communities in south Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania, and then returned to its lair somewhere in the Pine Barrens. This is the Jersey Devil.
Creature of folklore or evasive monster? You decide.
You Decide
Is the tale of the Leeds family true? Was the monster a gypsy curse? In the course of its extraordinary history, the Jersey Devil has been exorcised, shot, electrocuted, declared dead, and scoffed at as sheer foolishness – none of which has had any apparent effect on it or the people who continue to see it.
This mysterious creature is said to prowl the lonely sand trails and mist-shrouded marshes of the Pine Barrens, and emerge periodically to rampage through the towns and cities of New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania.
Uncover the mystery of this strange creature in the pages of this bestselling book all about New Jersey’s Jersey Devil.
Meet the Authors
James McCloy has a B.A. and M.A. from Rowan University. He spent many years as an Adjunct Professor of History at Wilmington University. He has appeared on many radio and TV programs to discuss the Jersey Devil and has also given lectures at schools, colleges, libraries, and historical societies.
Ray Miller, Jr. has a Ph.D. from the University of Delaware and spent many years as a Professor of English at Wilmington University. He co-authored two books on the Jersey Devil and has written numerous articles in various magazines and journals. Ray resides in New Jersey.
Dave McCloy has two associate degrees, a master plumber license, and he lives and works in Lewes, Delaware. Dave has had a life long interest in the legend of the Jersey Devil. Growing up the son of a researcher, lecturer, and writer on the subject, the legend was an every-present part of family life. Today, Dave spends his free time traveling with his wife and dog in their small camper.
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The content of this article was taken from the book The Jersey Devil by James McCloy, Ray Miller, Jr, and Dave McCloy, Blue River Press, 2016.