goatman's bridge disappearances
In a panic, the mob fled from the bridge. In addition to Washburn's story, the Ghost Adventures crew investigated reports of demonic activity on and around the bridge. While the Goatman is said to sleep beneath the Old Alton during the day, he habitually creeps out from under it to hunt for food at night, returning only at the sound of his name. [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. Heeter contested the conservatorship application, moved into his home and changed the locks. On Halloween, if you go the bridge and honk your horn twice, you may see the fiery red eyes of the Goatman. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in July 1988 and closed to vehicle traffic in 2001. He never answered. Next to the church is the cemetery. Graffiti reading, "Goatman was here," was not uncommon,[3] and law enforcement would habitually receive calls of reported sightings, albeit with a number being pranks. A rash of mysterious disappearances are becoming alarmingly routine on a chilling stretch of road that is known by locals as the Goatmans bridge., It sounds like the first comment was on July 2, 2010, on randomconnections.com. Photo from ReneLibrary. contribution from Shaun Treat, founder of the, historical ghost tour. Put to a vote in November 1856; the county seat was moved again to Denton. They wanted to put up a reward for his safe return, maintain his home and pay his bills. Prior to the new bridge, it was necessary for motorists to signal with a car horn before crossing the single-lane span. So, just to be clear: If you google this and find people mention the person who supposedly uploaded the video, that information is incorrect. But, unfortunately, some did not welcome a successful black man within their midst. 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. Legend further holds that the Goatmans Bridge provides a gateway into Hell. There is nothing on the channel. [1][2], Goatman stories originated in the early 1970s but some of its legends are set in the 50s, within Prince George's County, following the disappearances and/or deaths of multiple dogs, which were later attributed to the creature. There are many spirits calling this place home, but . 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. https://web.archive.org/web/20100920155235/http://www.asup-inc.org/oldaltonbridgecase.htm. Harrod had planned to put Heeter's name on some of his assets, including some of his properties, but he disappeared before he could do that. 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. Dentons most famous spectre is a story handed down for generations with a few variations, and thats the haunted Goatmans Bridge. I want to say that he screams, but I don't remember. In a time predating cars, massive cargo carriages drawn by hefty workhorses became the bridges most frequent users. But I did find someone with the same screen name as Lelands youtube channel name posting the story on a forum on March 4, 2008, though without the name Oscar Washburn. Apparently, in 2010, there was a person who commented on a bunch of websites, basically anything that mentioned the bridge that year. 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. The panicked Klansmen frantically searched the area unsuccessfully before rushing to Washburns shanty, setting it afire with the Goatmans family shrieking inside, perhaps to bait a desperate rescue attempt by the vanished Oscar. The Sheriffs archives made no mention of the event. They were later released pending . Harrod was last seen at his residence in the 500 block of Carnation Drive Placentia, California sometime between 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. on July 27, 2009. However, not everyone was pleased with Oscars newfound success and acceptance within the North Texas community. 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. Gradually, these carriages were replaced by automobiles, which were supported equally as well by the bridges sturdy truss structure. I chatted him instead. 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. 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. Their luck with this second townsite was also short-lived; in 1850 they moved once more, to a location five miles from present-day Corinth. The Old Alton Bridge's nickname, Goatman's Bridge, originated from at least two eerie local legends. The Ghost Adventures crew is in Denton, Texas, investigating Goatman's Bridge. The site also tells this story about a possible historical Goat Man: In some research we found that in the late 1800s there was a man that reportedly lived out near the bridge, who owned several goats. But its wild that those details have congealed into this almost monolithic urban legend nowadays. The Denton County location is notoriously haunted by the spirit of Oscar Washburn, or "Goatman," who was believed to be a former . On March 4, 2022, a reddit user who I will call Bob (not his real name) posted 23 links to a video and/or a playlist containing a video that he claims contains the real story behind the Goatmans Bridge. Treat has written about numerous local places and personalities at his. Ever since that fateful day, several strange things have reportedly occurred on and around the bridge. Some folks believe that Satanists have performed dark rituals on the bridge and opened a portal to another dimension. I went there back in highschool with a group of people. Other strange happenings recorded at the bridge include strange lights appearing in the surrounding woods, along with reports of visitors feeling hands grab at them in the dark, o a rain of rocks pelting them as they cross the bridge. if (theYear < 1900) However, the county seat was moved once more in 1857, to Denton. But be warned, the creature is said to appear whenever someone mentions its name. The ominously named Goatman has been described by witnesses as a truly frightening sight plucked straight from a nightmare or the yellowed pages of a book of folktales. [4], According to University of Maryland folklorist Barry Pearson, the Goatman legend began "long, long, long" ago and were further popularized in 1971 when the death of a dog was blamed on Goatman by local residents. Become a member to support the independent voice of Dallas 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. local news and culture, I want answers. His family doesn't believe he would have left without warning. The tiktok account just has the two videos, and it has like five followers so you are missing anything there. These tales are obviously old, as the bridge has been closed to vehicle traffic since 2001. Ghost Adventures: Screaming Room will take viewers out of the actual haunted location and into a casual conversation with the Ghost Adventures crew. I have since been able to independently confirm that the youtube channel belongs to someone who he knew, but that it wasnt him who uploaded the video. There are also some things that may differ between the final episode and this draft script. 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. Called the Old Alton Bridge, sometimes the Argyle bridge, and is better known amongst the locals as Goatmans Bridge, it was first built to carry horses but would later carry vehicles across the creek. Some say that the bridge was once the site of an execution, another of a lynching; others say that an old goat herder was murdered on this spot, while still others believe it is the earthbound spirits of those killed in the Sam Bass Texas Rangers shootout nearby. The third county seat location was designated in November 1850, about five miles southwest of present-day Corinth on Hickory Creek. havent been able to find mentions of Oscar Washburn prior to 2008. Its original purpose was to carry horses and automobiles across the river. Tomorrow ALL-NEW #GhostAdventures Screaming Room GOATMANs BRIDGE pic.twitter.com/Ninb97Zqbo. [1] Despite evidence to the contrary, stories of Goatman's existence continued to circulate, especially among local students. By August 27, 2008, a commentor on the website pbase.com mentioned Oscar Washburn and the specific date, November 15, 1967, that was mentioned in the YouTube video: By 2009, people had posted the youtube video to the same forum thread that Leland had originally posted on a handful of times, and by the last page of the thread, people were mentioning Oscar Washburn by name. And, the Goatman is evidently not alone. They would pull into the parking lot, get out, turn on all the flashlights and slowly walk towards this bridge to see what this was all about. Due to the great number of unexplained happenings at the Old Alton, the bridge has been the subject of a number of investigative paranormal shows, Ghost Adventures, and Buzzfeed Unsolved: Supernatural among them. It just seems to be the story that captures everyone's imagination.". And luckily for us, the video description was a wall of text almost 900 words long. The location has already been featured on Ghost Adventures: Extra Pulses. Ghost Adventures first premiered in 2008 and has aired over 250 episodes, including specials. Visitors crossing the bridge at exactly three a.m. have reported horrific visions of fire and brimstone; those fortunate enough to return, that is. Left to right: Jay Wasley, Zak Bagans, Billy Tolley, Aaron Goodwin. The bridge was built twenty-five years later and dubbed the Old Alton Bridge.. 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". The person said: "There have been several disappearances on and around Old Alton Bridge. He also mentioned the bridge in a handful of his tweets, but the tweets werent coherent enough for me to glean anything from or for them to be worth reading from here. I cannot fix what was done AGAIN. The KKK apparently kidnapped and killed Washburn by throwing him over the bridge. You wont find the names of Oscar Washburn or Jack Kendall in any historical records. The bridges architectural composition is known as a truss, a visually distinct structure of connected elements forming triangular units. Today, the Baptist Church and the Alton cemetery are all that remains of the Alton village. But, Pinckneyville would hold the title only two years and never develop into a town. It is open only to pedestrians today. 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. Donations are accepted but not expected; the site remains free-access to all. 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.. Importantly, he has a tattoo on his belly button that looks a lot like the tattoo that Sully Erna, the lead singer of the nu metal band Godsmack has. According to Micah Carlson Crittendens University of North Texas masters thesis published in May 2020, The Tall Grass West Of Town: Racial Violence In Denton County During The Rise Of The Second Ku Klux Klan: Due to shifts in the public perception of white criminality and lynching as a violation of due process, white lynchings in Denton County stopped in 1880 and never resumed.This meshes with some other older reports I found on the bridge, in which the goatman seems to be white (or at least his race isnt mentioned). According to urban legend, Goatman is a creature resembling a goat-human hybrid often credited with canine deaths and purported to take refuge in the woods of Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. 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. Finally, in May 1859, its post office doors closed forever. While some bridges are inhabited by pesky creatures such trolls, the Old Alton Bridge harbors a monster of a much darker nature. His hobbies include fishing and playing slot machines, and he left behind three daughters, a grandson and three great-grandchildren. Washburn was never seen again, they say, but a vengeful spirit has haunted the Old Alton Bridge ever since. According to local lore, the historic Old Alton Bridge marks the entryway to the territory of a malevolent demonic force known only as the Goatman. Some even believe that crossing over the bridge at certain times of night can unlock a portal into Hell itself. I think he deleted it previously and then recreated it and then deleted it again. The bridge was built in 1884, by the King Iron Manufacturing Bridge Company. Washburn was gone and was never seen again. 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. Later it accommodated automobiles as well. His channel has also been deleted, and he hasnt posted on reddit under that account since March 4. Oh also, when I originally wrote a lot of this, Bob had deleted his YouTube channel, but as of today, August 6, 2022, he seems to have reactivated his YouTube channel. Nicknamed " Goatman's Bridge " by Denton natives, legend says the Ku Klux Klan lynched a successful Black goat farmer there in the 1930s. Local high schoolers often trek there at night, the. 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