The Leeds Point Devil

The Jersey Devil is perhaps America’s oldest cryptid legend still generating modern sightings. Born in 1735 according to tradition, this winged creature with a horse-like head continues to haunt the Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey.

The Birth

In 1735, Jane Leeds of Burlington County was pregnant with her thirteenth child. Exhausted and cursing her fate, she declared “Let this one be a devil!” When the baby was born, it transformed into a creature with hooves, bat wings, and a forked tail. It killed the midwife and escaped up the chimney.

The Description

Witnesses describe a creature three to four feet tall with leathery wings spanning six feet or more. It has the head of a horse or dog, cloven hooves on its back legs, clawed front limbs, and a long forked tail. Its scream is piercing and unnatural.

The 1909 Flap

In January 1909, the Jersey Devil appeared across the Delaware Valley in what remains the most concentrated outbreak of sightings. Schools closed. Factory workers stayed home. Armed posses hunted the creature. Hundreds reported encounters over a single week.

The Evidence

Strange footprints have been found in the Pine Barrens for centuries. They show hoofprints transitioning to wing-dragged tracks in snow. Audio recordings capture unexplained screams. The creature has been photographed as blurry shapes in trees.

Modern Sightings

The Jersey Devil continues to appear. A state trooper reported an encounter in 1951. A merchant reported the creature on his roof in 1960. Sightings continue into the present century.

Assessment

The Jersey Devil’s persistence across three centuries argues for something beyond mere folklore. Whether unknown species, supernatural entity, or cultural phenomenon, it remains an active presence in New Jersey’s consciousness.