5 Things You Don’t Know About New Jersey’s Jersey Devil

Here are 5 things you probably never know about the most feared New Jersey beast this side of property taxes, the Jersey Devil.

Aside from Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi, the Jersey Devil may be the most famous creature to ever lurk in the Garden State.

Facts About The Jersey Devil

It all started in the deep woods of the Pine Barrens many years ago. It's the legend of the infamous, frightening, and elusive Jersey Devil.

Here are 5 things you may have never known about this legendary creature, but before you read them, make sure you have a night light and a good lock on your front door.

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5 Things You Never Knew About The Jersey Devil

The Legend Is Almost 300 Years Old. If you think the Jersey Devil is something some Madison Ave. marketing company came up with, think again. The Jersey Devil legend is 41 years older than our country.

Read More: Bigfoot Sightings In New Jersey

Sightings Peaked in 1909. There were over 1000 reported Jersey Devil sightings that year, according to nj.com. It was so serious that, at points during that year, schools had to be temporarily closed.

The Jersey Devil Had A $250,000 Reward On Its Head. In 1960, a group of wealthy merchants got together to offer a quarter of a million dollar reward for the capture of the monster.

The Mary Ritzer Christianson Encounter. In 1972, a college senior says she saw the Jersey Devil on Greentree Rd, and described it this way, according to Weird NJ,

The figure stood taller than a man by far, and had thick haunches (similar to a goat’s) supporting its nearly human looking torso and huge wooly head. It moved heavily and didn’t seem at all disturbed by my being there.

The Jersey Devil Survived A Cannonball. In 1909, Navy Commander Stephen Decatur claimed to have shot the beast with a cannonball, and despite putting a hole right through it, the Devil survived.

Whether you believe it or not, the nj.com and Weird NJ articles are a must-read if you live in the Garden State. Here are some great haunted places in New Jersey.