The Witches Well: Jersey Devil Mount Holly NJ

by Chris Chaos

Does the Witches Well hold the Jersey Devil? There was a legend that the Jersey Devil is sealed inside a stone altar on top of a mountain. This mountain is known as THE MOUNT in Mount Holly New Jersey.

Legend has it that the Jersey Devil was chained up here and if you put your ear up to the metal door you can hear him thrashing around. Another legend was that this site was the capstone that went all the way to Hell.

Yet another legend goes that one of the 1st (suspected) witches in the area was thrown down this well and she survived the drop and clawed and screamed for help and cursed all those that threw her into the well. Later on the shed was built over the Well to stop the haunting that was occurring. Recently the township put up a barbwire fence with stop motion cameras that actually yell at you when triggered. "Stop! You have been caught on camera and this will be used in your prosecution, turn around now!" it states when you venture too close. Why would they spend all this money for this security? What is really here? Without breaking the law and jumping the fence you currently cannot reach The Witches Well, but you can see it through the fence that was erected. If you go in the warm months be aware of the mosquitoes, they are plentiful and very hungry.

There is also a gravestone located in the cemetery right near this area and a woman is buried there. The grave reads: "Thus is the fate of all who turn from God, you are here because God hates you." This lady, who was a suspected witch, supposedly summoned the Jersey Devil and he killed her. Afterwards JD was caught and chained up and cast into the Well.

The Witches Well Video

(Chris Chaos is a long time resident of South Jersey who once again resides in and writes from Gloucester City, New Jersey. He is a filmmaker, a business owner, writer, urban explorer and investigator of the odd and weird, a proud parent, happily taken and a connoisseur of hot wings. Chris can be reached at AxisVideo@aol.com)

The Search for the Jersey Devil: Footprints

by Chris Chaos

Trifid

Trifid (Split into 3 parts)...or Drake's feet, 3 toes. A popular carving technique for the legs of tables or chairs. Back in 1941 a strange footprint was found in Batsto, New Jersey and many suspected that is was from the Jersey Devil. A cast was promptly made and then a wooden imprint was made of it. Currently this wooden imprint resides at Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge in Medford, New Jersey. Back in November of 2013 the Courier Post did a front page story with me concerning my Jersey Devil documentary they photographed me holding it in the photo shoot.

Chris Chaos holding the wooden print

Back in 1941 a strange footprint was found in Batsto, New Jersey and many suspected that is was from the Jersey Devil. A cast was promptly made and then a wooden imprint was produced from it. Currently this wooden imprint resides at Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge in Medford, New Jersey. Back in November of 2013 the Courier Post did a front page story with me concerning my Jersey Devil documentary, they photographed me holding it in the photo shoot.




One thing that was inconsistent to me was that by popular accounts most witnesses stated that the Jersey Devil had cloven hooves..like a goat, or the Devil Himself. The wooden imprint is more that of a dragon, or some sort of three toed lizard. There are not all that many three toed animals that are that large: Capybara, rhinoceroses, crow, turkey and the Emu are a few. Many dinosaur era birds had 3 toes with a 4th toe backwards turned that assisted them with gripping tree branches.

Above: Heron footprints next to average sized human foot. 

 

Starting around 1948 there was a hoaxer running around the US (and world) leaving fake 3 toed impressions and he was dubbed “Old Three Toes”. He claimed that the prints were that of a large penguin and tormented Florida with these false prints. There were several pics available with this hoaxer wearing his self made boots that left the 3 toed impressions. They curiously resemble (although a bit larger) the ones supposedly left by the Jersey Devil in Batsto...for more information please check out the following link:

3 Toe Hoax

Old Three Toes

There are many explanations that could shed light on the origin of this wooden footprint cast: A real animal that was mentioned above, a hoax, an attempt for tourism and publicity...or the actual Jersey Devil. Be sure to let us know what you think.

To follow along with the progress of the film, go here:
The Search for the Jersey Devil

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv_1ZctVV30&feature=youtu.be

(Chris Chaos is a long time resident of South Jersey who once again resides in and writes from Gloucester City, New Jersey. He is a filmmaker, a business owner, writer, urban explorer and investigator of the odd and weird, a proud parent, happily taken and a connoisseur of hot wings. Chris can be reached at AxisVideo@aol.com)