Washburn was gone and was never seen again. The post office closed forever in 1859. Same types of people, same cliche expectations and same reactions tonothing really. Updated 3 times since October 12, 2004. However, it wasnt so well-known for a long time. On a dark night in August 1938, these hateful men crossed the bridge without their headlights, then burst into Washburns home and drug him from his family to the bridge. Running across the bridge back to the car and then on that gravel is damn scary. Four women with personal reports of demonic attacks were featured on the episode. 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. Around 2:30 p.m, his son in-law drove off to Home Depot to pick up supplies. "For the last several years I've given ghost tours on the Square, usually on the weekends. . Both the dog and I heard and saw him, but he disappeared as he made a turn under some bushes and didnt emerge on the other side. 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. Oh I guess there is one other thing about his YouTube channel, which is that he added a header that has a picture of a goat man. The first reports of supernatural encounters on the bridge were in 1938, and many are recounted in the episode. Before the new bridge, drivers had to signal with their horns before crossing the single-lane bridge, as there was room for only one vehicle to pass at a time. The main highway bypasses it now, but the 135-year-old structure is still visible from the main road. 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. Passing over any bridge as antiquated and creaky as the Old Alton, its normal to feel a little unsettled. These tales are obviously old, as the bridge has been closed to vehicle traffic since 2001. 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. 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. Whenever a sighting of this ghastly figure occurs, a string of mysterious disappearances is sure to follow. Most of the time, county business was held at the Baines residence under the shade trees in his yard. We are your resource for Hill Country travel, things to do, places to eat, local news and culture, I want answers. Put to a vote in November 1856; the county seat was moved again to Denton. His hobbies include fishing and playing slot machines, and he left behind three daughters, a grandson and three great-grandchildren. His channel has also been deleted, and he hasnt posted on reddit under that account since March 4. Heeter contested the conservatorship application, moved into his home and changed the locks. All there is is one single piece of information on the about page which is that he joined YouTube on July 15, 2022. Aside from demonic satyrs, a second version of the story seeks to explain the origins of Goatmans Bridge. 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. 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. Ironically, if you search Bobs username on youtube, the cached metadata on Duckduckgo says USERNAME is resurrected from the digital grave. which is really ironic. The third county seat location was designated in November 1850, about five miles southwest of present-day Corinth on Hickory Creek. Join the Observer community and help support Visitors sometimes tell of seeing mysterious lights in the area, car doors locking and unlocking of their own accord, and numerous vehicle breakdowns while near the old viaduct. contribution from Shaun Treat, founder of the, historical ghost tour. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. There is little remaining of the old townsite today, except for the Hickory Creek Baptist Church and the old Alton Cemetery, which contains graves that date back to 1852. 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. 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. 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. 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. Built by the King Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio, the 145-foot long bridge would serve area travelers for more than a century. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in July 1988 and closed to vehicle traffic in 2001. Folks online have said that the video just added some additional background details to the existing legend. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD8iUdp33PqTsix2sGblEQZ8m5FQycC5DDoes a demonic entity . With vehicle traffic removed, the bridge became an important link connecting the Elm Fork and Pilot Knoll Hiking and Equestrian Trails. A rash of mysterious disappearances are becoming alarmingly routine on a. He had lent this woman $86,000 over about nine months. 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. An African American, Washburn was said to be the target of Texas' Ku Klux Klan in the 1930s, according to Discover Denton. Also, for the record, there have also been reports of the lynchings of white people in the area, so I have seems some older stories that seemed to claim that a white goatman had been lynched. Though it is called the Old Alton Bridge the community of Alton had already dispersed by 1884. Maybe that spirit is that of La Llorona, who is well known as haunting the rivers of the Southwest. Apparently, hearing about this, the County Sheriff went out to check on the mans welfare, but found neither the man nor the goats, dead or alive. Now, Im going to recap a bit of the story about the trickster elements that I originally told in the beginning of this series. However, given the condition of remains, the deaths may more likely have been the result of passing trains. According to locals, Washburn's story is likely an urban legend. Townsite lots began to be auctioned in January 1857. There has been no activity on Harrod's bank accounts or credit cards since he went missing. The episode claimed Satanic rituals had been performed under the notoriously-haunted bridge. It didnt earn the Goatman title until half a century later, when an African-American named Oscar Washburn settled in the area. 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. day! (, from his website: November 15th 1967: police discover an abandoned car beside Old Alton Bridge, five miles south of Denton, Texas. Denton County itself was formed in 1846, and the first attempt at settling the county seat was Pinckneyville (named for the Texas governor). A rash of mysterious disappearances are becoming alarmingly routine on a chilling stretch of road that is known by locals as the Goatmans bridge., https://web.archive.org/web/20100617152737/http://www.goatmansbridge.com/, Weirdly, November 15th 1967 is exactly 1 month before the Silver Bridge collapsed in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. 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. In a time predating cars, massive cargo carriages drawn by hefty workhorses became the bridges most frequent users. Last time, I talked about the possibly apocryphal story of the murder of Oscar Washburn, a Black man who was supposedly lynched by the Klan in the 1930s. 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. 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. More articles and blogs were being published online about the legendary Goatmans Bridge and they all said the same copy/pasted Legend along with some other ones mentioning of it being currently under surveillance by DAPS aka Denton Area Paranormal Society (never heard of or saw them the 1000s of days and nights I would spend obsessing over this place, but ok DAPS). 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. And, the Goatman is evidently not alone. In a panic, the Klansman returned to the Washburn residence, and killed his family in cold blood. Many of his neighbors bestowed upon him the affectionate nickname the Goatman.. 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. and help keep the future of the Observer, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our. I chatted him instead. But all of this is Internet talk, without corroboration, Blair explains. The Old Alton Bridge, or more famously known as The Goatman's Bridge, is an old iron-truss bridge just Northeast of Dallas, Texas, near the now uninhabited town of Alton. I want to know what happened to my son." Also, heres a weird synchronicity. For decades, the Goatmans remained as consistently in use as it had in the 1880s. 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. 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