Locals tell the story and follow it with a warning: those who cross the bridge with no headlights will be met on the other side by the Goatman. Apparently this commenter left a link a website, goatmansbridge.com which repeated the claim with no citation. But for this particular bridge, those feelings may be more grounded than not. Id like to go through a timeline of the Goatmans Bridge legend as its now known. As a mentor once wisely advised, never let the facts of a story obscure the truths in the tale. Heavy loads were exactly what the bridge was intended to support when the King Iron Bridge Manufacturing Company commissioned it in 1884. Supposedly the video series was going to answer everything, but it never happened, and you cant watch the video this description went with, since it was deleted the day after it was posted, having garnered 39 views when it was archived by the wayback machine. 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.. While some bridges are inhabited by pesky creatures such trolls, the Old Alton Bridge harbors a monster of a much darker nature. It is under surveillance by the Paranormal Investigators of North Texas and the Denton County Paranormal Investigators.\r\rOscar Washburn was never seen again and has been presumed dead since his attempted murder.\r\rhttp://www.asup-inc.org/oldaltonbridgecase.htm The Ghost Adventures crew is in Denton, Texas, investigating Goatman's Bridge. When they looked down to see if he had died, the noose was empty. 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. Earning his living raising goats, he was soon called the Goatman by the locals. Most notably, one that occurred November 15th 1967. Treat has written about numerous local places and personalities at his Denton Haunts blog, and is forever indebted to the great work of the fine folks with the Denton County Historical Commission and local keepers of history like Mike Cochran and Laura Douglas at the Emily Fowler Library for their tireless work in helping preserve Dentons intriguing past. The bridges architectural composition is known as a truss, a visually distinct structure of connected elements forming triangular units. [1], The creature was commonly claimed to have a human face but with a body covered in hair. So whether the Old Alton is named after a terrifying demon or a particularly resilient goat farmer, the bridge is certainly worth the trip. In 2014, after Harrod's family had him declared legally dead and inherited his home, Heeter was evicted. Some folks online have given a name for the person who supposedly uploaded this video. They returned to his home and slaughtered his family, according to the legend. My paranormal experiences became a local sensation in Denton, TX and remained the most viewed videos for awhile , even after others began to upload their own experiences. Ghost Adventures fans are in for a spooky treat Thursday night. Finally, in May 1859, its post office doors closed forever. \r\rAfter numerous abandoned automobiles and missing persons, a new bridge was constructed directly downstream. (Especially because I use dictation software for a lot of my script writing!) There's the bridge, and then there's . [3] The belief is based on the legend of a black goat farmer named Oscar Washburn, who was said to have moved his family to a residence just north of the bridge. theYear=theYear+1900
The turn of the century brought a black goat farmer and his family to a residence just North of the bridge, and a few short years later, Oscar Washburn was known as a dependable, honest businessman. Washburn was never seen or heard from again or was he? The name sounded familiar to me, so I texted one of two people who I went to high school with who Im still in touch with. Copyright 2008 -
The Denton newspaper at the time did an article on a car found abandoned on the bridge." A rash of mysterious disappearances are becoming alarmingly routine on a chilling stretch of road that is known by locals as "the Goatman's bridge." Constructed in 1884, the bridge connected Lewisville to Alton. But for this particular bridge, those feelings may be more grounded than not. Treat has written about numerous local places and personalities at his. So this is a person who perhaps at one point in his life felt very inspired by Godsmack, see you can just use that to paint a mental picture in your mind palace of what this person might be like. On the other hand, the book Haunted Plano, Texas by Mary Jacobs, which was published in 2018, has a whole section about the Old Alton Bridge, even though it isnt in Plano. On a dark night in the late 1930s, a lynch mob of Kluxers stormed Washburns shack and dragged the screaming Goatman to their noose waiting on the bridge, tightened the rope around the begging Oscars neck, then mercilessly flung him over the side. Finally, water shortages forced the county seat to move to a new site in June 1848. Dobie describes Sam Bass as a sort of Texan Robin Hood, an outlaw who was apparently well liked and spent some time in Denton County. KKK, Illustrated in Harpers Weekly, 1872. that have haunted our fair city over the years, but a few stand out as truly haunting. However, given the condition of remains, the deaths may more likely have been the result of passing trains. Dallas' independent source of November 15th 1967: police discover an abandoned car beside Old Alton Bridge, five miles south of Denton, Texas. Goatman's Bridge is the common nickname for what's formally called Old Alton Bridge, an iron-truss span that once connected Denton, Texas, to Copper Canyon. The original video was called The First Goatmans Bridge Video Ever Uploaded on Youtube 2011 YouTube.. It might have just been a racoon or somethingbut it was moving in our direction, and we all bolted out of there! The residents of what are now the cities of Argyle and Denton thought the man to be a bit of a loner and rather odd, but no one really knew all that much about him. His wallet and keys disappeared with him, but he left behind his gold 1997 Toyota Camry and his eyeglasses. I think he deleted it previously and then recreated it and then deleted it again. [2] This bridge is the subject of several ghostlore stories featuring a vengeful ghost. Liminal areas of crossing can be full of possibility and danger, present injustices are informed by past prejudices, and there are critters like snakes or gators down in the creek that younguns might outta be leery of. Though it is called the Old Alton Bridge the community of Alton had already dispersed by 1884. Highlights include: Thoughts about how the internet transforms and changes urban legends A little digital gumshoeing Some Mothman easter eggs. However, water shortages forced politicians to move two years later, in 1848. [3], Media related to Old Alton Bridge at Wikimedia Commons, Last edited on 22 December 2022, at 05:16, U.S. National Register of Historic Places, National Register of Historic Places portal, National Register of Historic Places listings in Denton County, Texas, Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Denton County, List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas, "National Register Information System(#88000979)", "Denton Urban Legend Put to the Test on Buzzfeed Web Series", "Old Alton Bridge - The Trails of Denton County", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Old_Alton_Bridge&oldid=1128827248, This page was last edited on 22 December 2022, at 05:16. That road is known by locals as "The Goatman's Bridge." Id like to loop back to some of the trickster stories I mentioned in the first episode of this series. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. According to legend, those who dare speak the Goatmans name while crossing his bridge unwittingly summon his spirit. Texas Hill Country. Ever since that fateful day, several strange things have reportedly occurred on and around the bridge. He was working on repairs with his son-in-law between 11:00 a.m and 12:00 p.m in preparation for his newlywed wife's arrival. Apparently, in order to drum up business, Washburn hung a sign on the bridge reading: "This Way to the Goatman." The local KKK was not at all pleased. A handful of states have a Goatman tale, with Texas having a few itself, but each expresses unique reminders of threats from a forgotten past. Washburn was gone and was never seen again. November 15th 1967: police discover an abandoned car beside Old Alton Bridge, five miles south of Denton, Texas. Gradually, these carriages were replaced by automobiles, which were supported equally as well by the bridges sturdy truss structure. Ghostly figures and strange lights are said to appear in the surrounding woods, as well as reports of visitors being touched, grabbed, and having rocks thrown at them. A fan-favorite episode in which the crew took on Goatman Bridge will be featured on Ghost Adventures: Screaming Room. Some folks believe that Satanists have performed dark rituals on the bridge and opened a portal to another dimension. Within a few years, Oscar had built a reputation for himself as a reliable and trustworthy businessman and a valuable member of the community. These tales are obviously old, as the bridge has been closed to vehicle traffic since 2001. Throughout the years multiple origins for the Goatman have spread but the one that remains consistent is the feeling that the demon is watching.<br /><br />Listen to all the origins and find . Over the years it gained more notoriety as I began to uncover and post more of the mystery, opening thousands of peoples minds in person who came to visit and happened to stop to have a chat with that ghost hunting guy and his beagle always at the bridge. However, given the condition of remains, the deaths may more likely have been the result of passing trains. However, descriptions differed on whether Goatman greater resembled a hairy humanoid or a human with the lower portion of a goat similar to the fauns of Greek mythology. Local legend says if you knock on the steel bridge three times at midnight, or perhaps- turn off your car lights and honk three times in summons, then you dare a visitation from the vengeful Goatman thats preceded by the stench of decaying flesh. Ghost Adventures: Screaming Room will take viewers out of the actual haunted location and into a casual conversation with the Ghost Adventures crew. In an account that may go back as far as the 1860s Texas Troubles, some Copper Canyon cowboys lynched a Creole slave goat-herder named Jack Kendall from a tall creekside tree near where the bridge now stands, but ineptitude separated the runaway slaves head from his body. Nature lovers and paranormal enthusiasts alike will love checking out this remarkable historic landmark and the beautiful scenery surrounding it, just be sure not to cross after three a.m. https://www.dallasobserver.com/arts/buzzfeed-supernatural-investigators-visit-denton-bridge-to-see-if-its-really-haunted-by-a-half-goat-half-demon-10051546, https://www.legendsofamerica.com/tx-alton/, https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/goatmans-bridge, https://wedentondoit.com/blog/2013/10/18/back-in-the-day-goatmans-bridge, https://texashillcountry.com/goatman-bridge-history-hauntings-denton-alton-bridge/. With cars and all their noise safely out of the way, the Old Alton Bridge was free for hikers and nature lovers to pass safely. But when they checked the noose to ensure that Oscar had died, they were in for quite the shock: the noose was empty. It continued to be used until about 2001 when it was replaced with a concrete-and-steel bridge and a new road, which straightened out a sharp curve. You wont find the names of Oscar Washburn or Jack Kendall in any historical records. Before he got involved with Heeter, he had been seeing a younger woman. Join the Observer community and help support However, no goatman. It is open only to pedestrians today. Ghost Adventures anchors Travel Channels Ghostober event with all-new frightening specials. Anyway, what did Bob have to say about this legend? The monster was the subject of a 1988 film by Louisville filmmaker Ron Schildknecht called The Legend of the Pope Lick Monster. "It's like all urban legends because there are actually legends similar to it all over the country," Ghosts of Denton tour guide Shelly Tucker told Discover Denton. The new site retained the name of Alton and submitted an application for a post office. Before the new bridge was built, motorists were required to honk their horns on the one-lane bridge to let other travelers know they were coming. However, the county seat was moved once more in 1857, to Denton. Goatman Bridge is a nickname for Old Alton Bridge in Argyle, Texas. places to stay, tourism, events, lodging, and we feature Texas Hill Country info Though Commissioners were appointed and directed to lay out a town and sell lots, no records were ever done, and no public buildings were ever erected. Oh, also, it seemed like he tweeted a lot in early-to-mid June 2022 and hasnt tweeted since, which also matches the pattern. theYear=now.getYear()
Some believe the Goatman remains dormant for years at a time and awakes only to hunt for prey. But the success of a black man was still unwelcome to many, and, in August 1938, Klansmen in the local government crossed the bridge and kidnapped Washburn from his family. So who knows maybe this series will appear on his channel, Ill try to keep an eye on it and I will update you if there is any movement there. Goatman Bridge is a nickname for Old Alton Bridge in Argyle, Texas. They also relive terrifying encounters and reflect on each discovery from a safer environment. of all manners. if (theYear < 1900)
In fact, the only residence that existed was that of a man named W.C. Baines, who established a farmstead long before the designation of the new county seat. And luckily for us, the video description was a wall of text almost 900 words long. Intro for Death at the Goatman's Bridge (Goatman's Bridge Series) Content note for this episode: I will be talking about white supremacist violence, chattel slavery, and racism. According to legend, if you visit on Halloween and honk your car horn twice, visitors can see Goatmans glowing eyes. Same types of people, same cliche expectations and same reactions tonothing really. Some reports describe the Goatman's fur as a deep, fiery red, while others describe his coloring as black as night, so black you can hardly see him as he moves through the edges of the trees. Also, for the record, there have also been reports of the lynchings of white people in the area, so I have seems some older stories that seemed to claim that a white goatman had been lynched. Becky Vickers is the author of the book The Secrets of Goatman's Bridge. In this version, an experiment on goats backfires and the scientist mutates into a half man, half goat creature who begins aggressively attacking cars in the vicinity of Beltsville, Maryland. Their chance finally came that summer. People saw the moth man around the area and it was said that he sort of presaged the collapse of the silver bridge on December 15, 1967, which is a really tragic incident where 46 people died. Authorities don't believe Harrod was harmed by a . A week and a half after he went missing, two of his children filed for conservatorship to get control of his assets. This creature has large glowing red eyes, and large goat-like horns. , and is forever indebted to the great work of the fine folks with the Denton County Historical Commission and local keepers of history like Mike Cochran and Laura Douglas at the Emily Fowler Library for their tireless work in helping preserve Dentons intriguing past. Now, this person said that he didnt upload the video. November 15th 1967: police discover an abandoned car beside Old Alton Bridge, five miles south of Denton, Texas. They have also recorded the sound of horses hooves crossing the bridge, when there were no horses present and one investigator, walking with her German shepherd dog, has seen a horseman, dressed in dark clothing, galloping toward them, then disappearing, without leaving tracks on the path. The couple had met and become engaged in 1950, but they were separated when Harrod joined the military and eventually both of them married other people. 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