History & local legend
Bristol’s contribution to the Jersey Devil scare of January 1909 came from its postmaster, E. W. Minster. In the account attributed to him, he was awake around two in the morning and had tried wetting his head with cold water to help himself sleep. A strange sound from the Delaware River drew him to look outside.
He described a large, crane-like creature flying diagonally across the river. Its head extended ahead of its body and carried curled horns resembling a ram’s. The animal appeared to glow, and its call began with a high whistle before descending into a rough, low sound.
The story became part of the wider wave of Jersey Devil reports that spread across the Delaware Valley that month.
