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. Nicknamed " Goatman's Bridge " by Denton natives, legend says the Ku Klux Klan lynched a successful Black goat. The Old Alton Bridges nickname, Goatmans Bridge, originated from at least two eerie local legends. Though the story has not been proven, it is an awful tale rooted in a terrible time in our history. His parents said they were rattled not only by his passing but also the setting of his death, because they said it was uncharacteristic of him to be adventurous enough to jump from an old country bridge into a creek. . 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". per adult. The Hickory Creek Baptist Church was organized in 1855, and by 1856, there were several buildings including a school and a saloon. By the light of their torches the Klansman mobbed to Oscar Washburn's home and dragged him to his death. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. The terrifying encounters and reported vanishings have been so frequent as to warrant numerous investigations by paranormal groups. It was constructed beginning in 1927, was replaced by the Clark Bridge and was demolished in 1994. These tales are obviously old, as the bridge has been closed to vehicle traffic since 2001., Alton Bridge. Old Alton Bridge, AKA Goatman's Bridge, in the daylight. Located on Hickory Creek, the community flourished with stores, a hotel, post office, school and other businesses. [3], Media related to Old Alton Bridge at Wikimedia Commons. 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. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. Old Alton Bridge, also known as Goatman's Bridge, is a historic iron truss bridge connecting the Texas cities of Denton and Copper Canyon. The Goatmans Bridge connects the area of Denton with Copper Canyon. The Old Clark Bridge was a bridge that carried U.S. Route 67 across the Mississippi River between West Alton, Missouri and Alton, Illinois. Established 1884 Old Alton Bridge, also known as Goatman's Bridge, is a historic iron truss bridge connecting the Texas cities of Denton and Copper Canyon. Road trippers weary of tall heights may not enjoy crossing this bridge; Despite its nerve-wracking nature, this incredible bridge . All information in this blog was found in the Office of History and Cultures records and Shelly Tuckers book Ghosts of Denton. 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. Some believe that Washburns spirit returned to the scene of his murder to seek revenge on his killers and has been haunting the bridge ever since. 514. Every Wednesday morning, get the week's top crime stories in Denton from the Blotter in your inbox. 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. 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.. Old Alton Bridge Denton, Texas United States 33.1297, -97.1060 Staff Writer KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. dalton.laferney@dentonrc.com, By Juan Betancourt There have been reports of abandoned cars with no sign of their occupants, vehicles breaking down or car doors locking and unlocking of their own accord, and some people have heard hoofbeats around the bridge. The Terrifying Legend Behind Goatmans Bridge And The Half-Goat Demon Said To Haunt It. Windy and becoming cloudy during the afternoon. Signage for Old Alton bridge. Success! Email Pablo Arauz Pea atparauzpena@kera.org. High 74F. Medical authorities have determined Lermont Stowers-Jones death was an accident, documents show. local news and culture, I want answers. Photo by Ron CC BY 2.0 And the Goatman. 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. Photo by Renegomezphotography.com CC BY-SA 3.0. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. There was an error processing your request. Hi there. Lermont Stowers-Jones is shown playing the keyboards in the youth choir at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church. now = new Date theYear=now.getYear() Every Wednesday morning, get the week's top crime stories in Denton from the Blotter in your inbox. 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. 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. [2] This bridge is the subject of several ghostlore stories featuring a vengeful ghost. Built in 1884 by the King Iron Bridge Manufacturing Company, it originally carried horses and later automobiles over Hickory Creek at a location that once was a popular ford for crossing cattle. ALTON Towers amputee Leah Washington remembers every moment of the horrific rollercoaster crash that caused her to lose her leg. Photo from ReneLibrary. _benhurlburt_/InstagramThe Old Alton Bridge is allegedly haunted by a half-goat demon, which has earned it the nickname Goatmans Bridge.. 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. They hung a noose on Old Alton Bridge and, after securing it around his neck, threw him over the side. The bridge was originally named after the old Texas village of Alton which shuttered in the 1850s. Old Alton Bridge famously known as the Goatman Bridge in Denton, Texas, is rumored to be one of the most haunted places in the US (Wikimedia) NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: A ghost hunter has been trending on TikTok after a video emerged of him reportedly spending the night at one of the most . Dallas Observer's The Morning After Brunch, virtual remembrance and fundraising event. agaudet@dentonrc.com, Anyone can be an artist at this new downtown Denton bar, McCarthy blasts Biden, Democrats over debt limit, The family has started a fundraiser for his funeral expenses. On the line was news that his sons body had been found. Choose wisely! Jones says he wants the case to be reopened. Family members started a fundraiser toward funeral expenses at www.gofundme.com/6g1ka20. (LogOut/ $76.92. As she walked through the gymnasium to find a seat Tuesday morning, she noticed many of her sons classmates staring at her, as if they all knew something she didnt. A boy in his late teens was found dead Tuesday afternoon in a creek near the Old Alton Bridge. 12 The Royal Gorge Bridge. He Actually Saved Her. Lermont Stowers-Jones' body was found in a Denton County creek in 2018. The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at the same location. Some folks believe that Satanists have performed dark rituals on the bridge and opened a portal to another dimension. 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 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. As a mentor once wisely advised, never let the facts of a story obscure the truths in the tale. The bridge was initially a toll bridge.[3]. He's no longer here, but he needs justice., Got a tip? It can be. Another version of Washburns legend posits that it is actually his wife who haunts the old structure. According to Tuckers research into Dentons local lore, there was no person named Oscar Washburn living in the area around the time of his alleged murder, nor were there any reports of lynching. He reportedly jumped into the creek from Old Alton Bridge on Nov. 19. The bridge now connects present-day Denton and the small town of Copper Canyon. The tale continues that when travelers crossed the bridge at night with their headlights off, they would meet the Goatman on the other side. Higher wind gusts possible.. Cloudy skies. day! ghosthunter_girls/InstagramThe bridge was originally named after the old Texas village of Alton which shuttered in 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. Sometimes, she said, Mont would stay at a friends and come back home the next morning to face some extra chores as punishment for staying out. Create a password that only you will remember. Thats just not him.. Records show that the Old Alton Bridge was constructed with a kit fromthe King Iron Bridge and Manufacturing Company in Ohio, a major supplier of bridges throughout Texas and North America. Old Alton Bridge was built in 1884, and is Denton County's oldest remaining Pratt-truss iron bridge. We wont likely ever know what happened to Lermont, said Angela James, a relative of Stowers-Jones serving as the familys spokeswoman. The legend says that if you go to the bridge and honk your car horn twice at midnight, the ghosts fiery red eyes will appear on the bridge., Old Alton Bridge. The key findings of the report show his lungs were overcome by fluid, presumably water. 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. Earning his living raising goats, he was soon . Become a member to support the independent voice of Dallas This page is not available in other languages. The report does not indicate Stowers-Jones suffered obvious trauma to his body. [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. Lermon Jones remembers his 17-year-old son Lermont Stowers-Jones, who also went by Mont, as a great kid. Years after the decline of Alton, an iron through-truss bridge was built in 1884 just south of the town site. Many believe that the Goatman haunts the overpass and the nearby woods. 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. Travelers say that if you cross the bridge without your headlights, the Goatman will meet you on the other side. In one instance, a research group filmed an eerily cold, orange mist on a night that was otherwise warm- the mist apparently moved across the bridge against the flow of the wind. But this abandoned bridge just 30 minutes north of Fort Worth in the town of Denton is guaranteed to send chills up your spine while also being a beautiful day hike.Old Alton Bridge, often referred to as the "Goatman's Bridge" is said to have been haunted by a man who was gruesomely murdered there in the 1930s. Nancy Bilyeau, a former staff editor at *Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone*, and *InStyle*, has written a trilogy of historical thrillers for Touchstone Books. 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