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From the Pine Barrens to the Shore, the natural beauty of southern New Jersey is shrouded in local legends and lore passed down through the generations by way of oral tradition. Deep in the woods of Colliers Mills, the mysteries of a place called Jack Davis keeps travelers at bay in the Bermuda Triangle of the pines. The state's most famous legendary creature, the Jersey Devil, is often described as making its home in the Pine Barrens. It is said that there is hermit of Oswego Lake who guards the pines as a great mystical white stag. In the swamps of South Jersey, local legend tells of Hessian Island, a historic secret outlaw hideout of Pine Robbers, established by renegade soldiers from the Revolutionary War. Local author William J. Lewis colorfully present tales, legends, lore and reflections from South Jersey and the Pine Barrens.
About the author
William J. Lewis is a lifetime resident of the New Jersey Pine Barrens, as were multiple generations of his family before him. He is the author of New Jersey's Lost Piney Culture (The History Press, 2021) and Adventure with Piney Joe: Exploring the New Jersey Pine Barrens (South Jersey Culture & History Center, 2022). He shares his Piney adventures on social media networks under "Piney Tribe." He preaches exploration without exploitation and teaching our children to be tomorrow's environmental stewards. After proudly serving as a U.S. marine, William went on to graduate from Rider University; he founded an environmental nonprofit to get kids outdoors and has served in leadership roles for both governmental and New Jersey nonprofit organizations.
