Hunting the Jersey Devil
Today's New York Times has a write-up on a group of individuals known as the Devil Hunters, who explore the Pine Barrens of New Jersey looking for the elusive, but well known, Jersey Devil. According to the legends, the story of the Jersey Devil dates back to the 18th Century with some even pinpointing the year 1735 as the date of its birth. The popular version has the devil being the 13th child of one Deborah Leeds, who perhaps made the mistake of crying out during the delivery, "May the devil take this one."
The creature is described as having the torso of a man, the head of a horse, the legs of a goat, tail of a serpent, with wings that resemble that of a bat's. To this day, several residents of New Jersey (and even some of its neighboring states) report seeing such a creature in the sky or perched on a tree in the desolate landscape of the Pine Barrens. However, many familiar with the stories still place its city of origin, Leeds Point, New Jersey, as ground zero for Devil sightings for those of you interested in exploring the legend for yourself.
Explore the birthplace of the Jersey Devil.