The county's oldest remaining Pratt-truss iron bridge, Old Alton Bridge was built in 1884 over Hickory Creek at Copper Canyon Road and that's where it remains today. The report does not indicate Stowers-Jones suffered obvious trauma to his body. Supposedly this was near the location of the bridge. 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. The Terrifying Legend Behind Goatmans Bridge And The Half-Goat Demon Said To Haunt It. Invalid password or account does not exist. The quaint area also included the Hickory Creek Baptist Church, the Alton cemetery, a saloon, and a school. Old Alton Bridge Denton, Texas United States 33.1297, -97.1060 Stay up to date with all of the sports news coming out of Denton-area high schools. The bridge now connects present-day Denton and the small town of Copper Canyon. They returned to his home and slaughtered his family, according to the legend. (LogOut/ The Old Alton Bridge south of Denton looks peaceful enough in the daylight, but after sunset the spirits come out to claim their lost ground. Photo taken by the Denton County Historical Commission. I've heard like back in way, way back in the day, the KKK used to like hang people off of it Boone said. Regardless of which origin gets told, old timers warn that knocking three times on the trusses of the bridge is an invitation to judgment, since the ghastly Goatman only spirits away those with the bloodlines of Klansmen or slaveowners into the woods for his terrible revenge. But when the Night Riders stumbled down to the dark rivers edge to confirm their murderous handiwork, they were shocked to find only an inexplicably empty noose dangling over undisturbed waters. But the legend shows no evidence of fading away. But the Hickory Creek that cuts through the land made transportation difficult, which led to the construction of a bridge by the King Iron Manufacturing Bridge Company in 1884. The Denton High School senior was found dead in the water near Old Alton Bridge on Tuesday. Nicolas Henderson/Flickr. The first tragic legend claims that a successful African American goat farmer named Oscar Washburn was murdered by the Ku Klux Klan on the bridge in the 1930s. Get exclusive, in-depth coverage of the University of North Texas athletics teams in this weekly newsletter. Old Alton Bridge was built in 1884, and is Denton County's oldest remaining Pratt-truss iron bridge. Don't forget him. Bridge Construction 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. Others have claimed to hear sounds like hooves galloping on the bridge behind them and a growling voice ordering them to get off the bridge.. Back in The Day is an ongoing WDDI contribution from Shaun Treat, founder of the Denton Haunts historical ghost tour. They hung a noose on Old Alton Bridge and, after securing it around his neck, threw him over the side. Before the bridge became a magnet for ghost hunters, it was simply known as Old Alton Bridge. Email Pablo Arauz Pea atparauzpena@kera.org. While there are no official records of Washburn existing, the bridge has a reputation for having a problematic past that includes racial violence. The last time Monts family saw him alive was a few days before Thanksgiving that year. On Wednesday, the family indicated the autopsy report does not provide them with much comfort. In-between the failed settlement and Denton County is an old iron bridge called "Old Alton Bridge" a bridge that would earn a twisted nickname more than a half a century later. But like I said, theres more than one version that attempts an explanation for a century of recurring frights and sights encountered at the bridge. Receive information from our advertisers or special DR-C offers. Date Posted: 9/10/2012 5:46:00 PM. When they looked down to see if he had died, the noose was empty. These tales are obviously old, as the bridge has been closed to vehicle traffic since 2001., Alton Bridge. When the county seat was moved to Denton in 1856, Alton began to decline, but . A drone shot from above Old Alton Bridge Goatmans Bridge showing the span over the waterway and a single man laying on the bridge for reference. Dallas' independent source of Mont, who was Black, was found dead in Hickory Creek, near the Old Alton Bridge outside of Denton. In a scheduled court. The 17-year-old Denton High School senior was found dead in the waters of Hickory Creek on Nov. 20. We are born and bred in The Nearby is the Hickory Creek Baptist Church, organized in the Alton community in 1855. Enjoy this 3.4-mile out-and-back trail near Corinth, Texas. When can my son have justice?" Location: Colorado. document.write(theYear) Alton was later abandoned after its county seat was moved to the neighboring town of Denton at the end of the 1850s. Supposedly numerous abandoned cars that have been found near Old Alton Bridge, their owners strangely missing. Jones and Stowers are scheduled to meet with Denton County NAACP officials this Tuesday about the death and any follow-up local authorities are taking. The legend goes that they then fitted a noose over his head and threw him over the side of the bridge but when they looked to see whether he was dead, his body had disappeared. Old Alton Bridge was included in the National Register of Historic Places on July 8, 1988. Though it is called the Old Alton Bridge the community of Alton had already dispersed by 1884. The curious come to hear the noises. Merchant was found guilty of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Terence J . | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Return Policy, It didnt earn the Goatman title until half a century. If you don't know the sto. He Actually Saved Her. By Brooke Colombo There have even been accounts of people being attacked by the alleged half-goat demon. His living was raising and selling goats. An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Built by the King Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio, the 145-foot-long bridge would serve until 2001, when it was replaced by a modern, shiny concrete-and-steel bridge and a new road. The story goes that Washburn was lynched by white supremacists then hanged from the edge of Old Alton Bridge. On Halloween, if you go the bridge and honk your horn twice, you may see the fiery red eyes of the Goatman. They just gotta know.. A search party including authorities from the Argyle Fire District, Denton and Lewisville fire departments, Flower Mound Emergency Management, the Denton County Sheriffs Office and state game wardens looked for him in the water Monday while the sun was up and on Tuesday until about 12:15 p.m., when an underwater drone located Stowers-Jones body. He was successful, and most of the community was supportive and friendly toward Washburn and his family, but unfortunately, the local Ku Klux Klan was not so pleased. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Known as Old Alton Bridge or Goatmans Bridge, the humble wooden pass has earned its creepy moniker due to its unsavory past, which includes black magic and murder. Staff Writer Here at the Office of History and Culture, we wont confirm or deny any paranormal activity at the Old Alton Bridge, but we can speculate and share the bridges story with you. The Art of Death With Tessa Fontaine. 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. Success! Jones said a coroner told him and his family it would be between two weeks and two months of waiting before the autopsy results are complete. 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. Closed for major repairs in 1959 and 1975. However, water shortages forced politicians to move two years later, in 1848. Some even believe that the bridge is haunted by evil spirits spawned by local occultists who have reportedly performed sacrificial rituals in the woods nearby. Today, the bridge is no longer fit for vehicle crossings. per adult. Winds S at 20 to 30 mph. The bridge takes its name from the abandoned community of Alton, which between 1850 and 1856 was the seat of Denton County. Wikimedia CommonsThe Goatmans Bridge connects the area of Denton with Copper Canyon. Why are they here? Stowers figures they were asking. High 74F. 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 . One of the most famous local ghost stories though, and one of the more terrifying, is the legend of Goatman's Bridge. from. As a mentor once wisely advised, never let the facts of a story obscure the truths in the tale. The last time Mont's family saw him. It now serves as part of a horse and hiking trail enjoyed by many as well as a popular siteresidents flock to around Halloween. Published on : 02:32 PST, Oct 29, 2022. theYear=theYear+1900 Create a password that only you will remember. If you would like to learn more about the story of Goat Mans Bridge and other Denton hauntings, check out local Dentonite Shelly Tuckers book Ghosts of Denton: The History of the Mysteries in a Small Texas Town, or go on one of her haunted tours of downtown Denton! Higher wind gusts possible.. Cloudy skies. Treat has written about numerous local places and personalities at his. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. The bridge was initially a toll bridge.[3]. dalton.laferney@dentonrc.com, By Juan Betancourt Receive information from our advertisers or special DR-C offers. crafty.girls.life/InstagramAt least one witness claims that their friend was pulled off the bridge by an unknown entity. Our 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. 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. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. 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The site of the town shifted over and by the 1850s it boasted a number of homes, a blacksmith shop, three stores, a school, saloon, hotel, two doctors, and a few lawyers. 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. The slavers then watched in horror as the headless body raised itself from the creekbed mud, animated by voodoo, and ripped off the head of a nearby goat to replace his own, still dangling in the noose! An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. It was constructed beginning in 1927, was replaced by the Clark Bridge and was demolished in 1994. 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. Windy this evening. Old Alton Bridge can be found in Denton off of Old Alton Road, near Teasley Lane. Photo by Renegomezphotography.com CC BY-SA 3.0, Another Texas blog elaborates on the possible terrors to be experienced: 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. Stay up to date with all of the sports news coming out of Denton-area high schools. He became the target of the Ku Klux Klan and was killed by being thrown from the bridge. 12 The Royal Gorge Bridge. The Old Clark Bridge was a bridge that carried U.S. Route 67 across the Mississippi River between West Alton, Missouri and Alton, Illinois. A few years later, Washburn, having become known as a dependable and honest businessman and dubbed the "Goatman" by locals, displayed a sign on Alton Bridge reading "This way to the Goatman". Lermont Stowers-Jones did not come home last Monday night, his family left with questions on the week of Thanksgiving. Wait a minute, y'all just say yall been searching for 16 hours with drones and divers and you said His body was not in there. Then, check out these famously haunted castles. contribution from Shaun Treat, founder of the, historical ghost tour. Its said that the so-called Goatman can be summoned by knocking on the bridge three times. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office released its autopsy report and toxicology results Wednesday afternoon, revealing for the first time an official account of what caused the teenager's. A tragic turn of events led to Mont's death in 2018. [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. KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. . Less than four miles from the town of Corinth, in Denton County, there once existed the village of Alton, founded in 1848. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. local news and culture, I want answers. In the 1930s, Oscar Washburn was a successful goat farmer. If you find this reporting valuable, considermaking a tax-deductible gift today. We wont likely ever know what happened to Lermont, said Angela James, a relative of Stowers-Jones serving as the familys spokeswoman. Staff Writer 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. There have also been reports of sacrificial rituals performed in the woods nearby, which believers of the supernatural argue is the true cause of the Goatmans appearance. The bridge in question connects the towns of Denton and Copper Canyon, and harkens back to 1884. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. Federal Judge Considers Halting Dallas Anti-Panhandling Ordinance, Dallas Stars Are 'Probably Not Going to Win the Stanley Cup,' but They Just Might, North Texas Trash Bag Titan Now Seeks to Bag Sunken Treasure, Newly Unsealed Records Paint Convicted Murderer Daniel Perry as Racist, Anti-Protester. 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. Nonetheless, in 1884 an iron bridge was built over Hickory Creek on Copper Canyon Road, south of the old townsite. The name referred to the nearby town of Alton, which once occupied the area near the Goatmans Bridge and was supposedly populated by one resident for a time. This is a very popular area for hiking, horseback riding, and running, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. 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. Winds S at 20 to 30 mph. A public viewing is schedule for 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Denton. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. School was out for Thanksgiving, and Jones said he dropped off his son at the Denton County Courts Building on East McKinney Street between 10:45 and 11 a.m. so he could take care of some things associated with two nonviolent charges he received earlier this year. Join the discussion on our new social platform Texjas.com! You have permission to edit this article. By Brooke Colombo Theres no way he would have been in that area, Jones said. 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