The Pine Barrens region is located in seven counties of southern New Jersey. This heavily forested area contains 1,500 square miles of undeveloped and rural land, which has spawned a myriad of popular “tales”; in addition, this setting has been the location of numerous sightings of many different ghosts and supernatural entities, including most notably the Jersey Devil, Captain Kidd’s ghost, the Black Dog, the Golden-Haired Girl, the White Stag, and the Black Doctor.
The most common reported sighting in the Pine Barrens is of the Jersey Devil. According to legend, this supernatural entity has haunted the Pine Barrens for more than 250 years. It is supposedly a winged, horned, tailed, and hooved creature that has terrorized many towns and factories; in fact, due to some of its sightings, schools have been known to shut down for the day. There are numerous possible origins of this legend. The most common theory hearkens back to 1735. Many claim the Jersey Devil was born on the outskirts of the Pine Barrens to a woman named Leeds who was having her thirteenth child. She was claimed to have spoken during this childbirth: “I am tired of children. Let it be a devil.” After the creature was born, so the story goes, it flew away into the Barrens. This figure is so popular in the Garden State that an NHL hockey team took its name after this legendary creature: the New Jersey Devils.
Another ghost that has been said to have been seen roaming the Pine Barrens region is Captain Kidd. According to the “Pineys,” Captain Kidd haunts the beach of Barnegat Bay; this is the place where many of his treasures are thought to be hidden. A number of accounts claim that the ghost of Captain Kidd is headless, while others go so far as to claim that the ghost of Captain Kidd can be seen walking with the Jersey Devil.
The Black Dog of the Pine Barrens is another ghostly figure seen in the vicinity of Barnegat Bay. According to folklore, pirates attacked and killed a crew on Absecon Island. Among those killed was a black dog. Even though black dogs usually represent evil spirits in folklore, most claim that the Black Dog of the Pine Barrens is a harmless spirit.
The Golden-Haired Girl is another ghostly figure, dressed in white, seen in this region. Legend suggests that she is mourning the loss of her lover at sea. Many claim also that the Jersey Devil can be seen alongside her. One legend of the Golden-Haired Girl claims that she was a rich woman who loved the child of the Jersey Devil who was strangely human; her family took the woman away from her demon lover, and she killed herself before they could relocate her.
The White Stag is a pale deer many locals have seen wandering through the barrens. Folklore claims that the White Stag is supposed to bring good luck. One story states a man was going through the Barrens in his carriage, but he was interrupted by the deer, which made him change course. If he had stayed on course, however, he likely would have died, since the bridge he was about to cross was severely damaged.
One final ghostly figure of the region is the Black Doctor of the Pines. James Still was a practicing physician in the nineteenth century. However, he was driven away from his practice since he was African American. Legend asserts that he ran to the Pine Barrens and learned from the Native Americans some herbal remedies, and that he continued to learn different medical procedures. Little is known concerning the death of James Still: many claim he died at the hands of the townspeople when they learned he was still practicing medicine; they came into the Barrens and lynched him. Others claim he died of natural causes. In any case, like the White Stag, the Black Doctor is known to be a benevolent spirit. When he is seen he is trying to save lost individuals within the Pine Barrens.
Kevin Hawk
See also Black Dog; Jersey Devil; Kidd, Captain William; Urban Legends/Urban Belief Tales
Further Reading
Greer, John Michael. 2001. Monsters. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn.
Maloney, Mack. 2013. Beyond Area 51. New York: Berkley.
Pedersen, Paul Evans, Jr. 2013. The Legendary Pine Barrens: New Tales from Old Haunts. Medford, NJ: Plexus.