Shades of Death Road
New Jersey is known for many weird things, like witches, the lost towns of the Pine Barrens, and, of course, the Jersey Devil. However, these aren’t the only strange occurrences within the boundaries of New Jersey. In Warren County lurks a seven-mile stretch imbued with frightening stories called Shades of Death Road.
Shades of Death Road is a mere two-lane paved road but don’t let its simple appearance fool you. Running along Jenny Jump State Forest there are things lurking by the road that just might make you jump. Shades of Death Road, typically simply known as ‘Shades’ had its strange name long before its asphalt would be mixed with blood. Some believe the twists and turns of the road, and the ease in which one can lose themselves, is the reason for the strange name. Others believe it was called this because the mosquito-filled marsh nearby that spread malaria and illness. Others believe the name comes from somewhere darker and deeper as the area was known for witchcraft and hauntings long before the road was ever laid down. Wherever the road’s name came from one thing is sure, it seemed destined to be a ubiquitous road.
Its history dates back to the early 1900s when this road became the location of seven brutal murders. One of the murders involved an elderly man being dragged from his vehicle and beaten to death with a tire iron for his coin collection. Another was the murder of Bill Cummins, who was short in cold blood and buried in a mile of mud along the road. The reason for his murder, and his killer, were never discovered. And, of course, there is passion-driven murder. A jilted ex-lover tracked down her former flame killed him, decapitated him, butchered him, and buried his body parts in several different locations along the road.
It seems seven mile stretch of road has at least one body for every mile.
There are also several interesting sites along Shades of Death Road, including a haunted cabin and a so-called ‘Fairy Hole.’ The Fairy Hole, believed to be a holy site of the local Lenape Native Americans, is a cave just a little off the road. It was first explored by archaeologists in 1918. They found pottery shard, flint tools, and arrowhead which were consistent to the Lenape people. According to several archaeologists it was believed this cave held significance, especially due to its proximity to a Lenape burial site. Wild rumors abound, of course, that sacrifices were carried out in the cave but there is no proof of this whatsoever. However, those who visit the Fairy Hole reportedly feel strange and hear ghostly whispers of voices long dead.
Ghost Lake is most notorious for its spectres. There have been reports of wispy figures walking along the surface of the lake and others report mysterious footprints that appear out of nowhere. It is rumored that these perpetual wanderers of the lake are the souls of the Lenape people who were murdered by early settlers and not given proper burial rites. Thus, they are doomed to exist not quite in the afterlife but not quite in life.
Shades of Death Road seems to be a small nexus of, well, death in New Jersey. The wealth of paranormal sightings and the several sites near the road that have their own histories, including the Fairy Hole and Ghost Lake, also suggest that this road may be a place where the veil is thin.
Thanks to Kathy E for this Blogstonishing topic suggestion!
The above image is from Daniel Case and this file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
