goatman's bridge disappearances

However, water shortages forced politicians to move two years later, in 1848. When they looked down to see if he had died, the noose was empty. But for this particular bridge, those feelings may be more grounded than not. Townsite lots began to be auctioned in January 1857. Well, thats it. [1], According to some variations of the legend, Goatman is said to have once been a scientist who worked in the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. 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. now = new Date For years, there was only 1 video on YouTube that even referenced this location or the local Legend until I started posting videos with my evidence of this mysterious places anomalies starting in 2011. 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 . By 1856, the small town boasted several homes, a blacksmith shop, three stores, a school, a saloon, a hotel, two doctors, and several lawyers. Many who have crossed at night. Treat has written about numerous local places and personalities at his. Its just a bizarre synchronicity, because Im only still in touch with two people who I went to high school with, and both of them grew up on the same street as this person. that have haunted our fair city over the years, but a few stand out as truly haunting. A second spirit is often said to keep the Goatman company, that of a young mother crying out eternally for her lost child. With vehicle traffic removed, the bridge became an important link connecting the Elm Fork and Pilot Knoll Hiking and Equestrian Trails. Bagans, Goodwin, Billy Tolley and Jay Wasley watch the subject episode and add candid commentary about behind-the-scenes moments. Dallas Observer's The Morning After Brunch, virtual remembrance and fundraising event. If you park outside the bridge at night and honk your horn three times a goatman will appear. 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. 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.. [5][6], The Goatman lore has isn't as well known but there have been some adaptations such as the slimy alien version in the game, Goatman's revenge. 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. 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. But just in case you arent up to date with the moth man lore, basically from November 15, 1966 to December 15, 1967, there were a series of incidents that were said to involve the moth man. However, the county seat was moved once more in 1857, to Denton. And both are popular urban legends, so if someone in 2010 wanted to make up this story, they probably were the type of person who was familiar with the moth man legend, so this might be a little Easter egg put in there.I was lucky enough to stumble upon a website called factschology.com, which had an article describing the deep dive that the podcast Myths, Mysteries, and Monsters went on to try to confirm this story. Haunted Texas: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Lone Star State by Alan Brown, published in 2008, has no mention of the Old Alton Bridge, even though it does mention another Denton haunting, the haunting of the University of North Texas Bruce Hall. Alton, now Cooper City, has long been abandoned. Located less than a mile from present-day Corinth, the new townsite was called Alton on a high ridge between Pecan Creek and Hickory Creek. On July 25, 2008, someone who Im going to call Leland (not his real name) posted a 2-minute youtube video telling the story of the Old Alton Bridge. Unfortunately, I wasnt able to watch the video that he posted, but I was able to read the video description on the Wayback Machine. The Klansmen, however, did not exactly follow the due process of the law. When she found out, she threw herself from the bridge, and her spirit has haunted it ever since. When the popular businessman proudly hung a sign on the Old Alton Bridge directing This way to the Goatman, it infuriated local Ku Klux Klansmen who plotted violence. The bridge was built twenty-five years later and dubbed the Old Alton Bridge.. There are news reports of abandoned cars on the bridge from the 1960s for sure.. His hobbies include fishing and playing slot machines, and he left behind three daughters, a grandson and three great-grandchildren. In the Ghost Adventures: Screaming Room episode on Thursday, the segment will be recapped with commentary from the crew. The Hickory Creek Baptist Church, which continues to stand, was organized in 1855. Aside from demonic satyrs, a second version of the story seeks to explain the origins of Goatmans Bridge. Today, the Baptist Church and the Alton cemetery are all that remains of the Alton village. They wanted to put up a reward for his safe return, maintain his home and pay his bills. But the success of a black man was still unwelcome, and Klansmen in the local government turned to violence after he displayed a sign on Alton Bridge: \"this way to the Goatman's\"\r\rOne night in August 1938, with their headlights off, Klansmen crossed the bridge, dragged the Goatman from his family, and lynched him over the side. Authorities don't believe Harrod was harmed by a stranger. Later it accommodated automobiles as well. Heeter contested the conservatorship application, moved into his home and changed the locks. The Ghost Adventures crew first visited Goatman Bridge in a Season 13 episode that aired on January 14, 2017. Another variation of the legend holds that Goatman himself was an old hermit who lived in the woods and often could be seen walking alone at night along Fletchertown Road. Most of the time, county business was held at the Baines residence under the shade trees in his yard. After securing it around Oscars neck, they tossed him over the side. Before he got involved with Heeter, he had been seeing a younger woman. According to their reports, the Goatman stands eight feet tall, with the chest and arms of a man, the hindquarters and hooved feet of a goat, and a frightening goats head complete with huge curled horns and glowing eyes. 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. Finally, water shortages forced the county seat to move to a new site in June 1848. We walked down one of the paths, and I swear something started chasing us! "For the last several years I've given ghost tours on the Square, usually on the weekends. Oh, also, when people delete their accounts on Reddit, their comments often still appear on the platform and it just says deleted under their username, but I was able to confirm that at least some of the comments that he had posted under his old username were also deleted. To continue reading from the video description: Back to my video This one here is the first of 2 videos that for several years, if you were to search Goatmans Bridge on Youtube , only 3 results appeared -Leland-s, and the 2 you are about to watch in this series. Apparently, in 2010, there was a person who commented on a bunch of websites, basically anything that mentioned the bridge that year. However, no goatman. If you think youre brave enough to cross the haunted Goatmans Bridge, read on. Travelers say that if you cross the bridge without your headlights, the Goatman will meet you on the other side. Goatman. The bridges architectural composition is known as a truss, a visually distinct structure of connected elements forming triangular units. 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. Old Alton Bridge, also known as Goatman's Bridge, is a historic iron truss bridge connecting the Texas cities of Denton and Copper Canyon. Some folks online have given a name for the person who supposedly uploaded this video. and help keep the future of the Observer, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our. Now, Im going to recap a bit of the story about the trickster elements that I originally told in the beginning of this series. We also run the premiere real-estate site in the hill country at HillCountryRealestate.com. The post office closed forever in 1859. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. The Denton County location is notoriously haunted by the spirit of Oscar Washburn, or "Goatman," who was believed to be a former . Now, this person said that he didnt upload the video. I don't bring people out to Goatman's Bridge very often but people always ask me about it. Lermont Stowers-Jones' body was found in a Denton County creek in 2018. 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. In a panic, the mob fled from the bridge. Other legends circulating about the demon focus on his name. Many of his neighbors bestowed upon him the affectionate nickname the Goatman.. 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. 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. The KKK apparently kidnapped and killed Washburn by throwing him over the bridge. And I am pretty sure that it took place in the 1930s, not 1800s, because the bridge wasnt built until 1884 i think. My understanding is that the legend had been circulating for some time, but as I talked about in the first episode of this series, there was a clear difference between pre-July 2008 stories about the Goatmans bridge, and post-July 2008 stories. . 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. \r\rSince the disappearance of the Goatman there have been many strange sightings on and near Old Alton Bridge. The legends and mysteries of Goatman's Bridge (including the infamous story of a goatman roaming the forest in search of those who killed his family) and the reports of abandon cars and missing persons make this place one of the most sought-after locations for those in the paranormal field. Goatman's Bridge: A Suicide Hotspot - with Author Becky Vickers | Clips Embed 2 *Taken from episode 20. His case remains unsolved and is classified as a possible homicide. (Goatmans Bridge Series), I Seen the Devil (Goatmans Bridge Series), Satanic Rituals at the Bridge (Goatmans Bridge Series). havent been able to find mentions of Oscar Washburn prior to 2008. There are many Denton ghosts To me, one of the funniest parts of this story is that the witness went on Mumsnet to share her story. My sense is that this was the moment when one version of the story was codified into something resembling the truth, at least as far as the internet was concerned. A similar tale to Washburns predates the building of the bridge, in which a group of cowboys lynched a goatherder called Jack Kendall. The new bridge straightened out a sharp curve on both sides of the creek and provided additional travel lanes. [1], The creature was commonly claimed to have a human face but with a body covered in hair. 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. Maybe that spirit is that of La Llorona, who is well known as haunting the rivers of the Southwest. Copyright 2008 - The new townsite was located on a high ridge between Pecan Creek and Hickory Creek and was called Alton. The monster was the subject of a 1988 film by Louisville filmmaker Ron Schildknecht called The Legend of the Pope Lick Monster. It might have just been a racoon or somethingbut it was moving in our direction, and we all bolted out of there! 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. The Denton County location is notoriously haunted by the spirit of Oscar Washburn, or "Goatman," who was believed to be a former goat farmer. Road 2181), Denton, Texas. November 15th 1967: police discover an abandoned car beside Old Alton Bridge, five miles south of Denton, Texas. I would spend countless hours there and watched all this happen every night from the bridge. I tried to PM him on reddit on 4/4/22, but he doesnt accept private messages. The person said: "There have been several disappearances on and around Old Alton Bridge. People DID trickle in most nights sporadically, ever few hours or so. These tales are obviously old, as the bridge has been closed to vehicle traffic since 2001. This attempt was more successful. She asked fellow forum-goers what they thought she might have seen, and there were amazing suggestions. 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. The Old Alton Bridge's nickname, Goatman's Bridge, originated from at least two eerie local legends. In July of 1988 at just over 100, the Old Alton Bridge landed a coveted spot on the National Register of Historic Places, as well as recognition as a Texas Historic Landmark. The tale continues that when travelers crossed the bridge at night with their headlights off, they would meet the Goatman on the other side. Washburn was never seen again, they say, but a vengeful spirit has haunted the Old Alton Bridge ever since. Passing over any bridge as antiquated and creaky as the Old Alton, its normal to feel a little unsettled. But for this particular bridge, those feelings may be more grounded than not. All my old favorite TV/YouTube Ghost Hunters are falling victim to this energy vortex!!. The bridge takes its name from the abandoned community of Alton, which between 1850 and 1856 was the seat of Denton County. There is nothing on the channel. Next to the church is the cemetery. Back in The Day is an ongoing WDDI contribution from Shaun Treat, founder of the Denton Haunts historical ghost tour. But Old Alton Bridge, the Goatman's Bridge, remains still open to foot traffic. If his name is uttered during the day, he is awakened and is often even more vicious due to the disruption of his sleep cycle, or so the story goes. Investigator Aaron Goodwin was allegedly thrown during filming, and host Zak Bagans claimed he was compelled by a spirit to choke himself. One of the more disturbing variations of bridge experiences tells of a man waiting on the other side of the bridge with a goat head under each arm. Maverick Kyrie Irving Has a Lot To Learn, Like the Earth Is Round, Dinosaurs Lived and Antisemitism Is Bad, Equal Representation at Center of Dallas' District 1 City Council Race, Students Fight To Change 2 Building Names at UT Arlington, Two Dallas City Council Seats Destined for New Blood, Texas Democrats Double Down on Defending Public Ed. Old Alton Bridge, also known as Goatman's Bridge, is a historic iron truss bridge connecting the Texas cities of Denton and Copper Canyon. 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. So, anyway, starting from this initial rumor that was immortalized in the form of a YouTube video, the new version of the legend started to spread widely. The story of the Goat Man himself can't be factually confirmed, but there have been several disappearances and tales of abandoned cars found in the area going back to at least the 50's, and documented by the local police departments. 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. They learn about Satanic worship underneath the bridge and hear stories from f. 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. Lermon Jones. The Old Alton derives its name from the now-abandoned town of Alton, which from 1850 to 1856 served as the seat of Denton County. His family doesn't believe he would have left without warning. Its original purpose was to carry horses and automobiles across the river. It just seems to be the story that captures everyone's imagination.". 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. The video also links to the Association for the Study of Unexplained Phenomenon (ASUP) website (http://www.asup-inc.org/oldaltonbridgecase.htm); the original website is down, but you can still read it on the wayback machine. The first reports of supernatural encounters on the bridge were in 1938, and many are recounted in the episode. theYear=theYear+1900 November 15th 1967: police discover an abandoned car beside Old Alton Bridge, five miles south of Denton, Texas. Rewriting Urban Legends: An attempt to trace the current tales of the Goatmans Bridge to their source: a 2008 YouTube video that contained seemingly new information about the urban legend, including some information that linked the story to the Mothman legends. 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. So whether the Old Alton is named after a terrifying demon or a particularly resilient goat farmer, the bridge is certainly worth the trip. There are also some things that may differ between the final episode and this draft script. Although he lived modestly and drove an older model car, Harrod was worth approximately $5 million. 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. In addition to Washburn's story, the Ghost Adventures crew investigated reports of demonic activity on and around the bridge. For all I know, since they knew each other, they could have worked on the video together, but I dont really have evidence of that so cant and wont speculate. He had no known medical conditions when he disappeared, although he did have some short-term memory problems like being unable to remember phone numbers. The men dragged him to the bridge where they had prepared a noose. An attempt to trace the current tales of the Goatmans Bridge to their source: a 2008 YouTube video that contained seemingly new information about the urban legend, including some information that linked the story to the Mothman legends. Details of Disappearance. Though it is called the "Old Alton Bridge" the community of Alton had already dispersed by 1884. Built by the King Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio, the 145-foot long . 2023 Copyright Dallas Terrors. local news and culture, I want answers. Also, heres a weird synchronicity. 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. However, this changed in 2001 when vehicle traffic was redirected to an adjacent, more contemporary concrete-and-steel bridge. Supposedly this was near the location of the bridge. However, the goatmans bridge is haunted. Local high schoolers often trek there at night, the. And its not lost on me that theres a connection between the two legends: both involve a animal man hybrid as well as a bridge. Other than that, Bob made a twitter account in June and hes tweeted a lot about an invocation of Zalgo, which I guess is a creepypasta from 2004. In 2014, after Harrod's family had him declared legally dead and inherited his home, Heeter was evicted. contribution from Shaun Treat, founder of the, historical ghost tour. Byways & Historic Trails Great Drives in America, Soldiers and Officers in American History, Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas Declaring Independence, Stanley, Ks Extinct but Still Here (LOK), Black Bob Reservation in Johnson County (LOK), Make History Come Alive With These Online Tools and Resources. 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. No Goatmans Bridge legend ever existed or was ever mentioned in any of your Texas legend/myth or ghost story books (even those published as late as the early 2010s.). This change was enacted to correct a glaring problem that had arisen when the bridge transitioned from carrying horses to carrying cars. And luckily for us, the video description was a wall of text almost 900 words long. Within a few years, Oscar had built a reputation for himself as a reliable and trustworthy businessman and a valuable member of the community. (Especially because I use dictation software for a lot of my script writing!) But be warned, the creature is said to appear whenever someone mentions its name. Next to the church is the cemetery. Whenever a sighting of this ghastly figure occurs, a string of mysterious disappearances is sure to follow. We discuss the high amount of suicides that have happened at the bridge and more! Pearson relates that "bored teenagers" keep the Goatman legend alive by repeating the story and suggesting that the creature attacks couples, frequenting the local lover's lane, subsequently stirring interest in sites like Fletchertown Road. Some say the two ghosts are connected, and that years ago, the Goatman stole the young womans baby. Several other reports tell of numerous abandoned cars that have been found near the bridge, with their occupants missing. I dont know whether that has anything to do with my series here, since Bob had deleted his YouTube video impulsively as well, but if youre listening to this, Bob, hello! Around 2:30 p.m, his son in-law drove off to Home Depot to pick up supplies. \r\rAfter numerous abandoned automobiles and missing persons, a new bridge was constructed directly downstream. The heavily traveled Old Alton Bridge remained in constant use until 2001 when vehicle traffic was moved to an adjacent concrete-and-steel bridge. And also, as far as Ive been able to tell, thats when the Goatman was given the name Oscar Washburn. Whenever a sighting of this ghastly figure occurs, a string of mysterious disappearances is sure to follow. . The new site retained the name of Alton and submitted an application for a post office. 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. Many believe that the Goatman haunts the overpass and the nearby woods. Washburn was never seen or heard from again or was he? Then he talks about his videos that he posted in 2009: I take issue with his claim that no legend at all existed, but I have been able to confirm that it seemed to be a much lesser known urban legend (for example, I lived there for years and had never heard of it), and the stories of hauntings seemed more scattershot. The Goatman's Bridge. Some say his spirit still haunts these woods. 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. Texas Hill Country. "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. An African American, Washburn was said to be the target of Texas' Ku Klux Klan in the 1930s, according to Discover Denton. https://web.archive.org/web/20100920155235/http://www.asup-inc.org/oldaltonbridgecase.htm. There are also some other mentions of the bridge hauntings, which arent part of the popular legends now: Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on your point of view, the secondary visits have raised more questions than they might otherwise have answered, including additional photographic anomalies and cold spots on bright, sunny days where the physical environmental data would suggest it impossible. According to legend, if you visit on Halloween and honk your car horn twice, visitors can see Goatmans glowing eyes. I chatted him instead. The original video was called The First Goatmans Bridge Video Ever Uploaded on Youtube 2011 YouTube.. However, the location of the second county seat also proved to be unfavorable due to a lack of potable water, and the state legislature soon directed that the site be moved again. In a panic, the Klansman returned to the Washburn residence, and killed his family in cold blood. I bet youre excited to find out what happened next! Turn right at Lillian Miller Pkwy and go 0.8 miles, where the road becomes Farm to Market Rd 2181/Teasley Ln, continue 3.2 miles, and turn right at Old Alton Rd. The Klansman then fitted a noose over his head and pushed him over the side of the bridge. On Halloween, if you go the bridge and honk your horn twice, you may see the fiery red eyes of the Goatman. Most notably, one that occurred November 15th 1967. Instead of reading Oscar his Miranda Rights, the men assembled a vicious mob to cross the bridge and kidnap Oscar from his home. Whenever a sighting of this ghastly figure occurs, a string of mysterious disappearances is sure to follow. Ghost Adventures anchors Travel Channels Ghostober event with all-new frightening specials. The Ghost Adventures crew is in Denton, Texas, investigating Goatman's 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. (, from his website: November 15th 1967: police discover an abandoned car beside Old Alton Bridge, five miles south of Denton, Texas. Notably, the article mentions neither Oscar Washburn nor a disappearance in 1967. So what I see here, is someone who you know read joined YouTube and made his new Tiktok account within two days of each other and is done nothing with them since. Dentons most famous spectre is a story handed down for generations with a few variations, and thats the haunted Goatmans Bridge. The legend goes that Kendalls body reanimated through the power of voodoo, ripped off the head of a nearby goat, and replaced his head with the goats as the astonished cowboys watched in horror. The church is located at 5724 Teasley Lane ( F.M. Some people have claimed to see the figure of Goatman, with glowing eyes and. When Denton County was formed in 1846, the first pioneers chose a place along Pecan Creek for the first county seat and named it Pinckneyville in honor of Texas first governor, James Pinckney Henderson. Related: Goatmans Bridge is a reminder of the cowardly Klansmens dastardly deed. Id like to go through a timeline of the Goatmans Bridge legend as its now known. Years later, in 1884, long after Alton had died, an iron through-truss bridge was built over Hickory Creek on Copper Canyon Road, south of the old townsite. The legend goes that he had a wife, who died mysteriously and that one night a group of drunken cowboys found the old man out crossing the bridge, herding his goats and drove the animals off the bridge, killing them in the fall. The 33-year-old college graduate an accomplished traditional dancer with ancestry from three area tribes was last seen soon after, walking across a bridge near a place marked End of Road . Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. In February 2022, a "six-foot goat man" was supposedly seen near a village called Staverton, in Northamptonshire. Take I-35E S/US-77 S to exit 463 and merge into the I-35 Frontage Rd. 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. DISCLAIMER: Im providing this version of the script for accessibility purposes. In a panic, they returned to his family home and slaughtered his wife and children.[4]. The Big Book of Texas Ghost Stories by Alan Brown, published in 2012, doesnt mention the Old Alton Bridge. According to the most circulated version, an African-American entrepreneur named Oscar Washburn and his family tended a farmstead goat herd near the bridge that was renowned for quality meat, milk, cheeses and hides.

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