Is the Jersey Devil real? Is it an alien, a mutation or a figment of the imagination? Without a doubt, the Jersey Devil is the most popular folklore legend in New Jersey. The earliest accounts of the creature go back to stories told by Native Americans prior to the White man's settlement here. The Lenape Indians called the Pine Barrens "Popuessing", meaning"place of the dragon". The most popular story is that the Jersey Devil was born in 1735, the 13th child of a woman whose character was questionable, named Leeds or Shrouds. The identity of the father varies from the woman's brother, a town minister and a British soldier to Satan himself. The story goes something like, during labor the woman cursed the child saying," This one might as well go to the devil for all I care!". Shortly after birth, the deformed creature flew up the chimney and has been on the rampage in Southern New Jersey and surrounding areas ever since.

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I myself have had an encounter with the strange being that I believe to be the Jersey Devil. It happened about ten years ago on top of the old fire tower at Apple Pie Hill, near Chatsworth. It was around the 4th of July and my friend and I were looking for fireworks.We were the only two people out there that chilly black night, deep in the pines. After some time, we started to hear a faint raspy breathing sound. It seemed to circle the tower several times and kept getting closer and closer and louder and louder. We didn't stick around to actually see the thing. We both literally flew down those steps, jumped into our truck and sped away in terror. Whether you believe in the Jersey Devil or not, anyone who's ever spent any time in the New Jersey Pine Barrens at night, can attest to the strange energies that are lurking there.