Lores of the garden state
By: Erin McFeeters
The Jersey Devil
In the depths of the Pine Barrens, there is a legend of a thirteenth child. In the town of Estellville, the Leeds family was expecting another child and cried out, “Let it be the devil!,” according to the Pinelands Alliance. When the child was born, supposedly it was born with the face of a horse, the head of a dog, bat-like wings, horns, and a tail. For the past 250 years, it’s said to have prowled through the marshes and, from time to time, will emerge to wreak havoc.
Chambersburg Family Pie Rivalry
Two pizza joints with almost identical names began in the Chambersburg section of Trenton, and both original founders are also brothers. In the 1940s, the original De Lorenzo’s immigrated to our state’s capital. Their sons opened two distinct pizzerias located just blocks apart, one on Hamilton Avenue and the other on Hudson Street. If you grew up in the area, yes, you have a favorite. The two shops: De Lorenzo’s Tomato Pies and DeLorenzo’s Pizza. De Lorenzo’s Tomato Pies, now in Robbinsville and Yardley, Pa., is known for extremely thin crust with cheese layered right on the dough, with a heavy dose of crushed tomatoes on top. They also cut their slices in odd shapes, their signature. DeLorenzo’s Pizza, now closed, but a relative from the line recently opened DeLorenzo’s The Burg in Hamilton Township, was known for their slightly softer crust and cheese on top of the sauce.
Hoppie the Lake Hopatcong Serpent
Dating back to the 1800s, a creature known as “Hoppie” has been said to inhabit Lake Hopatcong. Locals describe it as having a dog head and the body of a 40-foot serpent. Often referred to as New Jersey’s version of the Loch Ness Monster or Nessie, many people claim to have spotted Hoppie over the years. However, rather than describing it as a monster, they tend to characterize it as a friendly creature.
Clinton Road
Clinton Road is the most haunted road in the world, according to SIXT Car Rental. Located in Passaic County, the road is haunted by spirits and is said to be home to Dead Man’s Curve and a ghost boy who returns coins tossed in the river. Some have claimed to have even encountered the Jersey Devil.
Walpack, New Jersey
Only a few residents remain in this Sussex County town, and it is one of the least populated towns in New Jersey. In the 1950s, following intense flooding of the Delaware River from Hurricane Connie and Diane, the federal government set out to build the Tocks Island Dam and Reservoir. The Army Corps began buying out residents to complete the project, despite many families living on the land for generations, according to Walpack. The reservoir was planned to be 40 square miles and would result in the government displacing about 600 families, according to the National Park Service. Public outrage against the project led to its defunding and ultimately the government defunded it leading to the establishment of what is now the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.
Taylor Ham vs. Pork Roll
In the 1850s, John Taylor created this pork product in Trenton, and in the early days of this New Jersey breakfast favorite, the product was sold under the name Taylor’s Prepared Ham. In the early 1900s, the government enacted the Pure Food and Drug Act, which forced Taylor to rename the product Taylor’s Pork Roll—the name most Central and Southern New Jerseyans call it today—because the product no longer met the legal definition of “ham.”