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Not really a roadside attraction, unless you wander down some dark country road at night and your car is attacked!
The Pine Barrens of this region play an important role in a local legend - that of the Jersey Devil. In the mid-1700's, an era when nature and the dark woods were things to be feared, the mythical Jersey Devil was born. Part Bigfoot, part Rosemary's Baby, local legend tells of a devil child being born in Leeds Point, just north of Atlantic City. In the past 270 years, over 2,000 people claim to have seen the satanic creature that possesses a horse's head and hooves, horns, bat-like wings and a forked devil's tail.
For years after its arrival, the beast terrorized the Pine Barrens and other parts of South Jersey with frightening screams and flights across the sky. The only deaths credited to the Jersey Devil have been to livestock and pets. An exorcism in 1740 was thought to have rid the area of the Devil, however the beast returned about 100 years later.
In the mid-nineteenth century many reputable people including police officers, postmasters, business leaders and even Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon's brother and former King of Spain, reported seeing the beast. The Devil's next series of sightings occurred during a one week period in 1909 when over 1,000 people reported seeing a strange flying creature. The Jersey Devil makes periodic appearances every few years with the most recent being in 1987. Some speculate that the Jersey Devil is actually a pterodactyl while others believe the beast is the embodiment of Satan.
So, when in South Jersey keep your eyes open!
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