dalton.laferney@dentonrc.com, By Juan Betancourt A tragic turn of events led to Mont's death in 2018. Date Posted: 9/10/2012 5:46:00 PM. Stranger stories even include people having seen a creature that resembles a half-goat, half-man.. But the legend shows no evidence of fading away. We hope to spread knowledge and encourage discovery of our region's past. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. legendary ghost stories. It is open only to pedestrians today. DALTON LAFERNEY can be reached at 940-566-6882 and via Twitter at @dalton laferney. Photo taken by the Denton County Historical Commission. We are born and bred in The Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. bcolombo@dentonrc.com, Woman dead, child in critical condition after wreck on West University, Report: Denton police arrest suspected drug distributor after finding scales, cash, drugs inside his car, Police: Fry Street bar owner arrested after being intoxicated inside his business, Trial date set for Sanger woman accused of murdering her husband, By Amber Gaudet Amplifying their grief, the family learned that at least one person who was with Stowers-Jones when he reportedly jumped into the creek fled the scene when Stowers-Jones sunk below the surface of Hickory Creek. We are your resource for Hill Country travel, things to do, places to eat, 40. Travelers to the Old Alton Bridge, built in 1884 as a busy thoroughfare, have long reported frightening encounters and ghostly experiences with supernatural creatures that have made it a legendary spot for Texas ghost hunters and a topic for numerous books. Photo by Ron CC BY 2.0. PublishedSeptember 26, 2022 at 3:51 PM CDT. 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. Quick Description: Texas Historical Marker commemorating the Old Alton Bridge, one of the few surviving reminders of Alton, TX, which was the county seat before Denton took on that role. We just thought it was one of those days, she said. The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at the same location. Error! However, water shortages forced politicians to move two years later, in 1848. Welcome to my YouTube Channel and this video i'm showing you around the old Alton Bridge also known as Goatman's Bridge. Overnight, Stowers and Jones said, rumors about what happened to their son were flying around the school through social media. The stories have grown so persistent that TV crews have showed up, including one from Buzzfeed and another from Ghost Adventures on the Travel Channel. Though it is called the Old Alton Bridge the community of Alton had already dispersed by 1884. They next day, during her daughters basketball game at Denton High, Stowers sensed something was up. According to DPS records, the official cause of Monts death was accidental drowning, but Jones suspects foul play, and some details of the investigation dont sit right with him. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. A similar tale to Washburns predates the building of the bridge, in which a group of cowboys lynched a goatherder called Jack Kendall. Then, check out these famously haunted castles. The post office closed forever in 1859. Old Alton Bridge can be found in Denton off of Old Alton Road, near Teasley Lane. Texas Hill Country Facebook page is growing by over 1,000 fans per All information in this blog was found in the Office of History and Cultures records and Shelly Tuckers book Ghosts of Denton. They just gotta know.. Old Alton Bridge, AKA Goatman's Bridge, in the daylight. _benhurlburt_/InstagramThe Old Alton Bridge is allegedly haunted by a half-goat demon, which has earned it the nickname Goatmans Bridge.. 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. Their research suggests the possibility of entities haunting the bridge, though they believe the spirits belong to Denton pioneer families buried in Old Alton Cemetery- a piece of the community that once was. document.write(theYear)
It can be. 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. Goatman Bridge is a nickname for Old Alton Bridge in Argyle, Texas. The quaint area also included the Hickory Creek Baptist Church, the Alton cemetery, a saloon, and a school. He reportedly jumped into the creek from Old Alton Bridge on Nov. 19. The Terrifying Legend Behind Goatmans Bridge And The Half-Goat Demon Said To Haunt It. Low around 65F. 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. Pablo Arauz Pea is the breaking news reporter for KERA News. . Washburns body ended up on the ground below the bridge after he was either thrown off by the Klansmen or his body slipped from the noose. The heavily traveled Old Alton Bridge remained in constant use until 2001 when vehicle traffic was moved to an adjacent concrete-and-steel 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.. This page is not available in other languages. 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. 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! Rumor has it that the Old Alton Bridge is haunted by a half-goat demon with glowing red eyes and a loud snarl. Old Alton Bridge was built in 1884, and is Denton Countys oldest remaining Pratt-truss iron bridge. Every Wednesday morning, get the week's top crime stories in Denton from the Blotter in your inbox. 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. ALTON Towers amputee Leah Washington remembers every moment of the horrific rollercoaster crash that caused her to lose her leg. 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. 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. Today, the Baptist Church and the Alton cemetery are all that remains of the Alton village. The 17-year-old Denton High School senior was found dead in the waters of Hickory Creek on Nov. 20. Winds S at 20 to 30 mph. The funeral is at the church the next day at 11 a.m. We won't share it with anyone else. The content of this site includes writings on local history, our programs, and events. DO THE DENTON HOLIDAY LIGHTING FESTIVAL LIKE A PRO, THE MANY FACES OF DENTON'S FINE ARTS THEATER. The Old Alton Bridges nickname, Goatmans Bridge, originated from at least two eerie local legends. The Story Of 'Vasa,' The Epic 17th-Century Swedish Warship That Sank 20 Minutes After Launch, This French Woman Has Been Fighting A Three-Year Battle To Prove She's Not Dead, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch, The Old Alton Bridge is allegedly haunted by a half-goat demon, which has earned it the nickname Goatmans Bridge.. They returned to his home and slaughtered his family, according to the legend. She says the bridge is rumored to be the site of racist murders and Satanic rituals. They asked me, Do you have a son named Lermont?" Jones said. 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. Travelers also claim spooky happenings of car doors locking and unlocking, mysterious laughter, growls, and hoof beats, and even a horrible, unexplained smell. 12 The Royal Gorge Bridge. 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. Many believe that the Goatman haunts the overpass and the nearby woods. After Washburns body disappeared, the Klansmen are alleged to have returned to his home and murdered the rest of his family. Nancy Bilyeau, a former staff editor at Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, and InStyle, has written a trilogy of historical thrillers for Touchstone Books. This is a very popular area for hiking, horseback riding, and running, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. The story goes that Washburn was lynched by white supremacists then hanged from the edge of Old Alton Bridge. Authorities have said they received a call Monday just after 11 a.m. saying a teenager jumped in the water from Old Alton Bridge. . Treat has written about numerous local places and personalities at his. The question that persists when learning about the persistent legends that cling to Old Alton Bridge could very well bewhy? The Goatmans Bridge connects the area of Denton with Copper Canyon. We also run the premiere real-estate site in the hill country at HillCountryRealestate.com. Demolished via explosives on August 21 and, This page was last edited on 9 May 2021, at 17:04. . The new townsite was located on a high ridge between Pecan Creek and Hickory Creek and was called Alton. Most ghosts are given names because we need to feel like we can know them. Low around 65F. 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. Get exclusive coverage about business in Denton County in your inbox twice a month, with a focus on the housing market. The historic Old Alton Bridge, which connects the towns of Denton and Copper Canyon, has a complex and haunted history. 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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. You wont find the names of Oscar Washburn or Jack Kendall in any historical records. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. Create a password that only you will remember. It is very clear that it is a place that has become a beacon for white supremacy, and white supremacist legends, these kinds of stories and myths that uphold these types of ideals, Luther Rummel said. It stands 145 feet long at its original location over the Hickory Creek tributary at Copper Canyon Road, though the roadway was rerouted in 1997. Because of the alleged goat-demon that haunts it, Goatmans bridge is a popular location for thrill-seekers and photographers. The bridge was named similarly to the town and the cemetery, and was named the Old Alton Bridge. November 15th 1967: police discover an abandoned car beside Old Alton Bridge, five miles south of Denton, Texas. The last time Monts family saw him alive was a few days before Thanksgiving that year. Why are they here? Stowers figures they were asking. Stay up to date with all of the sports news coming out of Denton-area high schools. Natasha Ishak is a staff writer at All That's Interesting. Family members started a fundraiser toward funeral expenses at www.gofundme.com/6g1ka20. Create a password that only you will remember. Its commonly known as Goatmans Bridge. According to local legend, it was the site of the brutal lynching of a man named Oscar Washburn, a Black goat herder, in the early 20th century. Photo by Ron CC BY 2.0 And the Goatman. It now serves as part of a horse and hiking trail enjoyed by many as well as a popular siteresidents flock to around Halloween. There have also been reports of inhuman screams coming from the nearby woods, or maniacal laughter sounding. We won't share it with anyone else. 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, according to the site legendsofamerica. Some folks believe that Satanists have performed dark rituals on the bridge and opened a portal to another dimension. That road is known by locals as "The Goatman's Bridge." What's interesting is the back story of Goatman's bridge. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. Locals warn that if you cross the bridge at night without headlights (as the Klansmen are said to have done), you will be met on the other side by the Goatman. The travel site trailsofdentoncounty says, While the true history of the bridge is interesting, it has also gained a reputation as a haunted place for as long as local residents can remember, always being the spot that kids would flock to on Halloween night in hopes of capturing a glimpse of a ghost who traversed the area late at night. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office was expected . While we cant confirm theurban legend of theGoat Man, there is no doubt that tales of the hauntings have spread across Texas. 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. It was closed to car traffic and is open only to pedestrians today. No one has been charged in connection with Monts death. At least one person who visited the bridge with a friend claimed they heard the growling voice. Texas Hill Country. Our The bridge was originally named after the old Texas village of Alton which shuttered in the 1850s. We wont likely ever know what happened to Lermont, said Angela James, a relative of Stowers-Jones serving as the familys spokeswoman. He became the target of the Ku Klux Klan and was killed by being thrown from the bridge. The crazed murderers thought they had hung him from . The bridge was built in 1884, by the King Iron Manufacturing Bridge Company. Also haunted, Goatman's Bridge in Denton. 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. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. 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. This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties, 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", United States National Register of Historic Places listings, History of the National Register of Historic Places, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Old_Alton_Bridge&oldid=1128827248, Buildings and structures in Denton County, Texas, Road bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas, National Register of Historic Places in Denton County, Texas, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 22 December 2022, at 05:16. Invalid password or account does not exist. 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.. Why It's Scary: Extremely tall height. 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. A 2015 photo of Old Alton Bridge. 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. Now that youve learned about the scary legend of Goatmans Bridge, go inside the mystery of the Overtoun Bridge, Scotlands dog suicide hotspot. 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. Prior to the new bridge, it was necessary for motorists to signal with a car horn before crossing the single-lane span. 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. 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. 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