A reminder of Denton Countys transportation history, Old Alton Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988, and became a Texas Historic Landmark in 2010. Travelers to the Old Alton Bridge, built in 1884 as a busy thoroughfare, have long reported frightening encounters and ghostly experiences with supernatural creatures that have made it a legendary spot for Texas ghost hunters and a topic for numerous books. Get exclusive coverage about business in Denton County in your inbox twice a month, with a focus on the housing market. His cause of death is still pending. According to DPS records, the official cause of Monts death was accidental drowning, but Jones suspects foul play, and some details of the investigation dont sit right with him. After visiting the courthouse, Stowers-Jones was expected to head over to a friends house and maybe follow up on a Whataburger job application he filled out, his parents said. document.write(theYear) ALTON Towers amputee Leah Washington remembers every moment of the horrific rollercoaster crash that caused her to lose her leg. A public viewing is schedule for 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Denton. The Old Alton Bridge is not only a picturesque historical location, but it is also said to be haunted by the "Goatman," giving the bridge its nickname. The Old Alton Bridge's nickname, Goatman's Bridge, originated from at least two eerie local legends. Staff Writer Prior to the new bridge, it was necessary for motorists to signal with a car horn before crossing the single-lane span. Theres no way his body is in there, and 16 hours later you say his body's here," Jones said. Every morning, get a link to our newly redesigned e-Edition and the top Denton headlines you need to start your day. Hence, the structure was named Old Alton Bridge since it was built near the old settlement. Why are they here? Stowers figures they were asking. Dallas' independent source of Now that youve learned about the scary legend of Goatmans Bridge, go inside the mystery of the Overtoun Bridge, Scotlands dog suicide hotspot. Also haunted, Goatman's Bridge in Denton. The Old Alton Bridge, where Monts body was found, has a divisive past. Another version of Washburns legend posits that it is actually his wife who haunts the old structure. Nicolas Henderson/Flickr. With vehicle traffic removed, the bridge became an important link connecting the Elm Fork and Pilot Knoll Hiking and Equestrian Trails. The new bridge straightened out a sharp curve on both sides of the creek and provided additional travel lanes. Stay up to date with all of the sports news coming out of Denton-area high schools. Back in The Day is an ongoing WDDI contribution from Shaun Treat, founder of the Denton Haunts historical ghost tour. Get exclusive coverage about business in Denton County in your inbox twice a month, with a focus on the housing market. The historic Old Alton Bridge, which connects the towns of Denton and Copper Canyon, has a complex and haunted history. Dallas Observer's The Morning After Brunch, virtual remembrance and fundraising event. The curious come to hear the noises. they drove their cars across the bridge with their headlights off, A similar tale to Washburns predates the building of the bridge, in which a group of cowboys lynched a goatherder called Jack Kendall, There are no definitive records of Washburn or Kendall, but as a Denton local said, that doesnt mean its not haunted.. Error! local news and culture, I want answers. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. Windy this evening. Some people have seen a half-man, half-goat figure, similar to a satyr; this odd account of after-death transformation (if this is indeed the Goatman) bears some semblance to the tale of the Donkey Lady Bridge or La Llorona. Photo taken by the Denton County Historical Commission. Staff Writer Demolished via explosives on August 21 and, This page was last edited on 9 May 2021, at 17:04. Washburn posted a sign on the bridge which read this way to the Goatmans. This action angered members of the Klan, and on a fateful night in August of 1938, they drove their cars across the bridge with their headlights off, took Washburn from his home and family, and dragged him to the bridge. Whether its Washburn or Kendall haunting the bridge, lots of strange things have happened around the Alton Bridge. Authorities release autopsy of teen found near Old Alton Bridge, By Dalton LaFerney "Something's not right with that picture.. Quick Description: Texas Historical Marker commemorating the Old Alton Bridge, one of the few surviving reminders of Alton, TX, which was the county seat before Denton took on that role. On a dark night in the late 1930s, a lynch mob of Kluxers stormed Washburn's shack and dragged the screaming Goatman to their noose waiting on the bridge, tightened the rope around the begging Oscar's neck, then mercilessly flung him over the side. Fort Worth is home to many supposedly haunted spots. We have this family whose child is dead, and they still years later do not have full transparency and answers as to why, Luther Rummel said. . This article relating to the United States Numbered Highway System is a stub. Today, the Baptist Church and the Alton cemetery are all that remains of the Alton village. Numerous reports tell of unholy glowing eyes that burn red from the darkness, eerie glimpses of a large snarling Goat-headed man-beast stomping in the wooded shadows, or a frightening apparition of a maniacal Satyr carrying the heads of goats or humans in his hands., Read another story from us:Investors pay over $1 million for California ghost town with a dark past. After the witness ran away, their friend who had remained on Goatmans Bridge appeared to be dragged to the edge and thrown into the river by an unknown entity. The stories have grown so persistent that TV crews have showed up, including one from Buzzfeed and another from Ghost Adventures on the Travel Channel. The Argyle Fire District confirmed Tuesday that the boy, whose name has not been released by. People say theyve heard horses hoof beats on the bridge, splashing in the creek below, maniacal laughter, and inhuman like growling coming from the surrounding woods., The legend keeps growing, Texas sources say. We are born and bred in The But the town failed to grow and in 1850, the county seat was moved about five miles southwest of present day Corinth, taking the name and the people with it, however the bridge . Low around 65F. It can be. You wont find the names of Oscar Washburn or Jack Kendall in any historical records. Lermon Jones. The Denton County Sheriffs Office, Texas Rangers and state game wardens have worked the case, and so far they have not indicated anybody will be criminally charged in connection with Stowers-Jones death. If you don't know the sto. This article about a bridge in Illinois is a stub. Hed barely take out the trash if a spider was in sight, his dad said Saturday. Ashley N. Bottoms, 34, of Carlinville was charged with manslaughter and endangering the life of a child causing death in connection with the death of Hunter Lee Drew. An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Death at the Goatman's Bridge (Goatman's Bridge Series) By Chris in episode Jun 17, 2022 Death at the Goatman's Bridge (Goatman's Bridge Series) A look at one legend behind the Goatman's Bridge, the period of history that inspired it, and a suspicious recent death at the bridge. The main span of the two-lane bridge is a 100-foot-long Pratt through-truss. from. The terrifying encounters and reported vanishings have been so frequent as to warrant numerous investigations by paranormal groups. Overnight, Stowers and Jones said, rumors about what happened to their son were flying around the school through social media. Bridge Construction "legend says a group of Klansmen murdered a beloved black goat farmer on Old Alton Bridge in 1938. Some folks believe that Satanists have performed dark rituals on the bridge and opened a portal to another dimension. They next day, during her daughters basketball game at Denton High, Stowers sensed something was up. The bridge was initially a toll bridge.[3]. I've heard like back in way, way back in the day, the KKK used to like hang people off of it Boone said. The most well-known ghost story surrounding Old Alton Bridge says that if you visit the historic bridge at night, stop your car, and honk twice, the Goat Mans glowing red eyes will appear in the darkness next to the bridge. On Halloween, if you go the bridge and honk your horn twice, you may see the fiery red eyes of the Goatman. Its commonly known as Goatmans Bridge. According to local legend, it was the site of the brutal lynching of a man named Oscar Washburn, a Black goat herder, in the early 20th century. DO THE DENTON HOLIDAY LIGHTING FESTIVAL LIKE A PRO, THE MANY FACES OF DENTON'S FINE ARTS THEATER. They returned to his home and slaughtered his family, according to the legend. The trouble with these sources is that there is no historical record of such a lynching. Get the latest, most up-to-date breaking news in your inbox. The story goes that Washburn was lynched by white supremacists then hanged from the edge of Old Alton Bridge. Local researchers have looked into county death records, newspaper accounts, and census records and have found no record of a man named Oscar Washburn, or of a lynching in 1938. This is the eerie story behind the haunted Goatmans Bridge. Lermont Stowers-Jones is shown playing the keyboards in the youth choir at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 1 h 2 min to complete. Old Alton Bridge was built in 1884, and is Denton County's oldest remaining Pratt-truss iron bridge. 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Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. Join the discussion on our new social platform Texjas.com! From tragic and riveting tales of murder to the somewhat vague stories of a ghostly goatherder, it's sure to give you the chills if you ever visit - heading out there after dark probably isn't advisable, in any case! This legend results in the area around Old Alton Bridge being popular among paranormal investigators,[5] such as the crews from Ghost Adventures and BuzzFeed Unsolved: Supernatural. If history is the self-congratulatory narrative of a community written by its victorious elite, then our ghosts will often problematize and haunt such tidy romanticisms of back in the day. Welcome to my YouTube Channel and this video i'm showing you around the old Alton Bridge also known as Goatman's Bridge. The last time Mont's family saw him. Since the answer isnt likely to be definitively answered anytime soon, lets settle into the story of Goatman and his favorite bridge. "And I said, Yes. And they said, Well, you need to come identify his body at the Old Alton Bridge.. At least one person left the scene after Lermont Stowers-Jones sank below the surface of Hickory Creek near Old Alton Bridge on Nov. 19, an official said Tuesday . The Story Of 'Vasa,' The Epic 17th-Century Swedish Warship That Sank 20 Minutes After Launch, This French Woman Has Been Fighting A Three-Year Battle To Prove She's Not Dead, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch, The Old Alton Bridge is allegedly haunted by a half-goat demon, which has earned it the nickname Goatmans Bridge.. In a panic, they returned to his family home and slaughtered his wife and children.[4]. The Old Alton Bridge, also know as Goatman's Bridge, is one of the most haunted bridges in Texas that will send chills up your spine. The Old Clark Bridge was a bridge that carried U.S. Route 67 across the Mississippi River between West Alton, Missouri and Alton, Illinois. But the legend shows no evidence of fading away. He didnt come home that night for his normal curfew, around 8:30 p.m. The last time his family saw Mont was around the same time the authorities said they received the initial 911 call Monday. November 15th 1967: police discover an abandoned car beside Old Alton Bridge, five miles south of Denton, Texas. Road trippers weary of tall heights may not enjoy crossing this bridge; Despite its nerve-wracking nature, this incredible bridge . There are no definitive records of Washburn or Kendall, but as a Denton local said, that doesnt mean its not haunted.The bridge is seven miles south of Denton, if you ever get the urge to visit just keep your headlights on and dont knock on the bridge, unless you want to visit with the Goatman. Though the story has not been proven, it is an awful tale rooted in a terrible time in our history. The Goatman isnt just a haunting campfire tale, its also a reminder that an ignorance of our history is no protection from its everlasting consequences. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. It was built by the King Bridge Company based in Cleveland, Ohio. Medical authorities have determined Lermont Stowers-Jones death was an accident, documents show. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in July 1988 and closed to vehicle traffic in 2001. Rumor has it that the Old Alton Bridge is haunted by a half-goat demon with glowing red eyes and a loud snarl. Winds S at 20 to 30 mph. List of crossings of the Upper Mississippi River, Map of Missouri Showing State Road System, Upper Mississippi River 9-Foot Channel Project, Lock & Dam 26, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Old_Clark_Bridge&oldid=1022287330. 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