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. 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. He may have done that before 8/6, but thats just when I noticed it, while finalizing the script for this episode. The bridge was built in 1884, by the King Iron Manufacturing Bridge Company. 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. Road 2181), Denton, Texas. And, the Goatman is evidently not alone. 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. They were later released pending . In February 2022, a "six-foot goat man" was supposedly seen near a village called Staverton, in Northamptonshire. 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. Ive been told that if I were in a horror movie, A look at a place full of cemeteries, ruins, and ghosts of, http://www.randomconnections.com/paranormal-activity/, https://web.archive.org/web/20100920155235/, http://www.asup-inc.org/oldaltonbridgecase.htm, https://web.archive.org/web/20100617152737/, The Trickster and the Goatman (Goatmans Bridge Series), I went to Goatmans Bridge (Goatmans Bridge Series), This Way to the Goatman (Goatmans Bridge Series), Death at the Goatmans Bridge (Goatmans Bridge Series), Who is the Goatman? Denton County itself was formed in 1846, and the first attempt at settling the county seat was Pinckneyville (named for the Texas governor). All there is is one single piece of information on the about page which is that he joined YouTube on July 15, 2022. Visit the series page for additional sources. Most notably, one that occurred November 15th 1967. 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. The slavers then watched in horror as the headless body raised itself from the creekbed mud, animated by voodoo, and ripped off the head of a nearby goat to replace his own, still dangling in the noose! Heeter was packing up her belongings at her home in Missouri in order to move in with Harrod in California, and he was preparing for her arrival and looking forward to it. DO THE DENTON HOLIDAY LIGHTING FESTIVAL LIKE A PRO, THE MANY FACES OF DENTON'S FINE ARTS THEATER. Anyway, what did Bob have to say about this legend? Heeter contested the conservatorship application, moved into his home and changed the locks. Legend has it that a demon that's half-man and half-goat haunts the bridge. 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. 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. 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. The new bridge straightened out a sharp curve on both sides of the creek and provided additional travel lanes. A similar tale to Washburns predates the building of the bridge, in which a group of cowboys lynched a goatherder called Jack Kendall. 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. Goatman's Bridge is an old wood and steel structure spanning a small waterway between Denton, Texas, and neighboring town, 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. The newly improved bridge solved this problem as well as straightened out a sharp curve on both sides of the creek. There's the bridge, and then there's . 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. But, unfortunately, some did not welcome a successful black man within their midst. 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. Some people have seen a half-man, half-goat figure, similar to a satyr; this odd account of after-death transformation (if this is indeed the Goatman) bears some semblance to the tale of the Donkey Lady Bridge or La Llorona. 714-993-8164. 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. Some folks believe that Satanists have performed dark rituals on the bridge and opened a portal to another dimension. 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. The ground was damp and hoof prints should have been obvious, but I couldnt find any!. This was completely opposite of what the area is like in the daytime. The monster was the subject of a 1988 film by Louisville filmmaker Ron Schildknecht called The Legend of the Pope Lick Monster. Along with hikers, bikers, and horseback riders, the Old Alton Bridge and surrounding wooded areas have become a popular destination for bird watchers and nature photographers. \r\rSince the disappearance of the Goatman there have been many strange sightings on and near Old Alton Bridge. The heavily traveled Old Alton Bridge remained in constant use until 2001 when vehicle traffic was moved to an adjacent concrete-and-steel bridge. His living was raising and selling goats. His case remains unsolved and is classified as a possible homicide. The church is located at 5724 Teasley Lane ( F.M. 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. For the Kentucky creature, see, Last edited on 23 February 2023, at 17:27, "Legend of Goatman Survives Despite Lack of Evidence", "Maryland's Goatman Is Half Man, Half Goat, and Out for brains", "Famed Goatman Forever Held In Dusty Room", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Goatman_(urban_legend)&oldid=1141159056, This page was last edited on 23 February 2023, at 17:27. [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. The video makes a number of claims, including this bit, which appears in the viedo as well as the first line of the video description, which has a transcript of the voiceover: November 15th 1967: police discover an abandoned car beside Old Alton Bridge, five miles south of Denton, Texas. The original video was called The First Goatmans Bridge Video Ever Uploaded on Youtube 2011 YouTube.. that have haunted our fair city over the years, but a few stand out as truly haunting. 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. Some believe the Goatman remains dormant for years at a time and awakes only to hunt for prey. 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! 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. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. The bridge was built twenty-five years later and dubbed the Old Alton Bridge.. In a panic, the mob fled from the 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". Others were totally unrelated, and just seemed to have a keyword that made it come up in a search. Treat has written about numerous local places and personalities at his Denton Haunts blog, and is forever indebted to the great work of the fine folks with the Denton County Historical Commission and local keepers of history like Mike Cochran and Laura Douglas at the Emily Fowler Library for their tireless work in helping preserve Dentons intriguing past. There is nothing on the channel. 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. 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. The Denton County location is notoriously haunted by the spirit of Oscar Washburn, or "Goatman," who was believed to be a former goat farmer. 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. Texas Hill Country. There have been some idiots who go out there and dabble in what they think is satanism and try to summon things . Its fascinating to me that the video links to a paranormal investigation site that doesnt really back up its claims. In the meantime, Alton began to die as many of its businesses moved to the new county seat. A vicious and hateful group of Klansmen working in the local government began to conspire against him, waiting for Oscar to slip and give them some excuse to be rid of him. 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. Best Tales of Texas Ghosts by Docia Schultz Williams was published in 1998 and has plenty of stories of ghosts in the Dallas area, but no mention of Denton County or the Old Alton Bridge at all. Photo from ReneLibrary. 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. By 1856, the small town boasted several homes, a blacksmith shop, three stores, a school, a saloon, a hotel, two doctors, and several lawyers. Halloween is upon 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. Next to the church is the cemetery. Ever since that fateful day, several strange things have reportedly occurred on and around the bridge. Goatman's Bridge: A Suicide Hotspot - with Author Becky Vickers | Clips Embed 2 *Taken from episode 20. In the Ghost Adventures: Screaming Room episode on Thursday, the segment will be recapped with commentary from the crew. Built by the King Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio, the 145-foot long bridge would serve area travelers for more than a century. Maybe that spirit is that of La Llorona, who is well known as haunting the rivers of the Southwest. For decades, the Goatmans remained as consistently in use as it had in the 1880s. All rights reserved. havent been able to find mentions of Oscar Washburn prior to 2008. The Old Alton Bridge's nickname, Goatman's Bridge, originated from at least two eerie local legends. So this is a person who perhaps at one point in his life felt very inspired by Godsmack, see you can just use that to paint a mental picture in your mind palace of what this person might be like. I would laugh and think to myself (Another one bites the dust I guess) Many times however, I would get lucky and not have a single other person come visit the bridge, OR even a car drive by for an entire night. The church is located at 5724 Teasley Lane ( F.M. According to locals, Washburn's story is likely an urban legend. As far as I can tell, it seems like he made a youtube video about the Old Alton Bridge, wanted to drive traffic to it by posting on reddit, but then for some reason decided to delete it. 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. Some attribute the work of Satanists who opened a portal for a hellspawn demon, while others say the Goatmans wife is eternally searching for her murdered children. After his second marriage, Harrod asked to be repaid. However, given the condition of remains, the deaths may more likely have been the result of passing trains. Id like to loop back to some of the trickster stories I mentioned in the first episode of this series. Id like to go through a timeline of the Goatmans Bridge legend as its now known. The comment also said that the car was a Mustang, because of course it was, and it says that there were lots of people that reported other missing persons linked to the Goatmans bridge and the Goat man with no additional detail. But for this particular bridge, those feelings may be more grounded than not. 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. It didnt earn the Goatman title until half a century later, when an African-American named Oscar Washburn settled in the area. 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. If you think youre brave enough to cross the haunted Goatmans Bridge, read on. After securing it around Oscars neck, they tossed him over the side. Prior to the new bridge, it was necessary for motorists to signal with a car horn before crossing the single-lane span. His family doesn't believe he would have left without warning. 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. 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. 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." There use to be a goatmans road in baytown txits now a road that goes by a big golf course and subdivison..my how things have changed over the years Frank Lakeman Member 1 #4 day! Many who have crossed at night. However, when they looked over to make sure he was dead, they could see only the rope. However, the goatmans bridge is haunted. Ghost Adventures anchors Travel Channels Ghostober event with all-new frightening specials. He was working on repairs with his son-in-law between 11:00 a.m and 12:00 p.m in preparation for his newlywed wife's arrival. November 15th 1967: police discover an abandoned car beside Old Alton Bridge, five miles south of Denton, Texas. It is under surveillance by the Paranormal Investigators of North Texas and the Denton County Paranormal Investigators.\r\rOscar Washburn was never seen again and has been presumed dead since his attempted murder.\r\rhttp://www.asup-inc.org/oldaltonbridgecase.htm KKK, Illustrated in Harpers Weekly, 1872. | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Return Policy, It didnt earn the Goatman title until half a century. Wow, what a cliffhanger! Unfortunately, I wasnt able to watch the video that he posted, but I was able to read the video description on the Wayback Machine. 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.
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