Pineys
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"Pineys" or Piney, is a derogatory term and refers to inhabitants of the New Jersey Pine Barrens. The Pine Barrens have sandy soil and are unsuitable for farming. The area is inhospitable and those that lived there were considered to be the dregs of society, fugitives, poachers, moonshiners, run away slaves or deserting soldiers. Often poor, Pineys were forced to make a living in any way possible. Some of the Pineys included notorious bandits known as Pine Robbers. Pineys were further demonized after two eugenics studies at the turn of the century depicted them as congenital idiots and criminals. Pineys often fostered stories of how terrible the Pine Barrens are or how violent they were in order to discourage outsiders and law enforcement from entering the Barrens. The Jersey Devil stories often had this effect. Today, Pineys tend to wear the label as a badge of honor. Much like "redneck" has become in the mountains or south.
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