The bridge is located about seven miles south of Denton. 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. His family doesn't believe he would have left without warning. Old Alton Bridge, also known as Goatman's Bridge, is a historic iron truss bridge connecting the Texas cities of Denton and Copper Canyon. Locals tell the story and follow it with a warning: those who cross the bridge with no headlights will be met on the other side by the Goatman. If you park outside the bridge at night and honk your horn three times a goatman will appear. However, when they looked over to make sure he was dead, they could see only the rope. The monster was the subject of a 1988 film by Louisville filmmaker Ron Schildknecht called The Legend of the Pope Lick Monster. All there is is one single piece of information on the about page which is that he joined YouTube on July 15, 2022. North Texans endearingly began to call him the Goatman. There's the bridge, and then there's . Peering over into the water, his murderers saw a rope, but not his body. day! 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. He had lent this woman $86,000 over about nine months. The show is currently off season, as Season 18 last aired in November. His case remains unsolved and is classified as a possible homicide. "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. Other reports tell of a womans spirit who wanders the area, allegedly searching for her lost baby. 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. People saw the moth man around the area and it was said that he sort of presaged the collapse of the silver bridge on December 15, 1967, which is a really tragic incident where 46 people died. The men dragged him to the bridge where they had prepared a noose. Show more 0/2000 Most notably, one that occurred November 15th 1967. Related: Goatmans Bridge is a reminder of the cowardly Klansmens dastardly deed. Heavy loads were exactly what the bridge was intended to support when the King Iron Bridge Manufacturing Company commissioned it in 1884. His living was raising and selling goats. The hateful Klansman then went back to his home and killed the rest of his family. 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. Most notably, one that occurred November 15th 1967. The first reports of supernatural encounters on the bridge were in 1938, and many are recounted in the episode. 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. Some people have claimed to see the figure of Goatman, with glowing eyes and. A similar tale to Washburns predates the building of the bridge, in which a group of cowboys lynched a goatherder called Jack Kendall. In a panic, the mob fled from the bridge. 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. Oh, also, it seemed like he tweeted a lot in early-to-mid June 2022 and hasnt tweeted since, which also matches the pattern. But, unfortunately, some did not welcome a successful black man within their midst. After securing it around Oscars neck, they tossed him over the side. The episode claimed Satanic rituals had been performed under the notoriously-haunted bridge. Some folks online have given a name for the person who supposedly uploaded this video. Local high schoolers often trek there at night, the. Denton County itself was formed in 1846, and the first attempt at settling the county seat was Pinckneyville (named for the Texas governor). The tale continues that when travelers crossed the bridge at night with their headlights off, they would meet the Goatman on the other side. 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. 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. Ghost Adventures first premiered in 2008 and has aired over 250 episodes, including specials. So whether the Old Alton is named after a terrifying demon or a particularly resilient goat farmer, the bridge is certainly worth the trip. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD8iUdp33PqTsix2sGblEQZ8m5FQycC5DDoes a demonic entity . DISCLAIMER: Im providing this version of the script for accessibility purposes. 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. Dallas Observer's The Morning After Brunch, virtual remembrance and fundraising event. 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. There have also been reports of inhuman screams coming from the nearby woods, or maniacal laughter sounding. 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 . The Hickory Creek Baptist Church was organized in 1855, and by 1856, there were several buildings including a school and a saloon. However, no goatman. In April 2019, two persons of interests were arrested in connection to Robert Harrod's disappearance. We are born and bred in The The Denton County location is notoriously haunted by the spirit of Oscar Washburn, or "Goatman," who was believed to be a former . Left to right: Jay Wasley, Zak Bagans, Billy Tolley, Aaron Goodwin. 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. The turn of the century brought a black goat farmer and his family to a residence just North of the bridge, and a few short years later, Oscar Washburn was known as a dependable, honest businessman. Id like to go through a timeline of the Goatmans Bridge legend as its now known. Hed had the account since 2018, but the only other visible thing that hed posted was something on a World of Warcraft subreddit. However, this changed in 2001 when vehicle traffic was redirected to an adjacent, more contemporary concrete-and-steel bridge. She asked fellow forum-goers what they thought she might have seen, and there were amazing suggestions. From tragic and riveting tales of murder to the somewhat vague stories of a ghostly goatherder, its sure to give you the chills if you ever visit heading out there after dark probably isnt advisable, in any case! Watch the new and 7th season of BuzzFeed Unsolved: True Crime! There are news reports of abandoned cars on the bridge from the 1960s for sure.. 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. Legend further holds that the Goatmans Bridge provides a gateway into Hell. Half a century after the bridge was built, an African-American man named Oscar Washburn settled with his family near the bridge. The bridge takes its name from the abandoned community of Alton, which between 1850 and 1856 was the seat of Denton County. The person said: There have been several disappearances on and around Old Alton Bridge. [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. 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. I used to be inspired by GAC and big fans of Sam and Colby among many others who are now just making this situation worse for those of us personally involved trying to fix it.This place was relatively unknown before I uploaded the first video about it 12 years ago on Youtube. Please, for the love of all things under the Sun. Instead of reading Oscar his Miranda Rights, the men assembled a vicious mob to cross the bridge and kidnap Oscar from his home. The site also tells this story about a possible historical Goat Man: In some research we found that in the late 1800s there was a man that reportedly lived out near the bridge, who owned several goats. Some say the two ghosts are connected, and that years ago, the Goatman stole the young womans baby. if (theYear < 1900) Some of the posts he commented on were about the Old Alton Bridge, Texas Hauntings, or similar topics. 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. Passing over any bridge as antiquated and creaky as the Old Alton, its normal to feel a little unsettled. 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. The person said: "There have been several disappearances on and around Old Alton Bridge. 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. [6] The 16-minute, $6,000 film premiered on December 29, 1988 at the Uptown Theater. 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. According to local lore, the historic Old Alton Bridge marks the entryway to the territory of a malevolent demonic force known only as the Goatman. Some even believe that crossing over the bridge at certain times of night can unlock a portal into Hell itself. Road 2181), Denton, Texas. STOP..GOINGTHERE..PEOPLE! Join the discussion on our new social platform Texjas.com! I tried to PM him on reddit on 4/4/22, but he doesnt accept private messages. By 1856, the small town boasted several homes, a blacksmith shop, three stores, a school, a saloon, a hotel, two doctors, and several lawyers. In the meantime, Alton began to die as many of its businesses moved to the new county seat. According to her autopsy report, she was stabbed dozens of times, with puncture wounds all over her head, face, and upper . 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. 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. With vehicle traffic removed, the bridge became an important link connecting the Elm Fork and Pilot Knoll Hiking and Equestrian Trails. Earning his living raising goats, he was soon called the Goatman by the locals. If I can just summarize the research I did, which I talked about in ep 1 of this series: the Old Alton Bridge and the Goatman werent mentioned in the older books that I have access to about the paranormal or urban legends in Texas: I have two books by folklorist J. Frank Dobie, Legends of Texas Volume II: Pirates Gold and Other Tales, and Tales of Old-Time Texas, and the only stories they have about the area are about Sam Bass. Goatman's Bridge is the common nickname for what's formally called Old Alton Bridge, an iron-truss span that once connected Denton, Texas, to Copper Canyon. There have been some idiots who go out there and dabble in what they think is satanism and try to summon things . The investigation led to some terrifying moments for the crew. These tales are obviously old, as the bridge has been closed to vehicle traffic since 2001. Next to the church is the cemetery. 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. (Goatmans Bridge Series), I Seen the Devil (Goatmans Bridge Series), Satanic Rituals at the Bridge (Goatmans Bridge Series). We walked down one of the paths, and I swear something started chasing us! Becky Vickers is the author of the book The Secrets of Goatman's Bridge. Built by the King Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio, the 145-foot long . 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 places to stay, tourism, events, lodging, and we feature Texas Hill Country info Other legends circulating about the demon focus on his name. The Old Alton Bridge's nickname, Goatman's Bridge, originated from at least two eerie local legends. theYear=theYear+1900 The terrifying encounters and reported vanishings have been so frequent as to warrant numerous investigations by paranormal groups. According to legend, those who dare speak the Goatmans name while crossing his bridge unwittingly summon his spirit. Treat has written about numerous local places and personalities at his. Halloween is upon And in the trunk of her vehicle was her cold, bloodied, and decomposing body. 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. 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. The Old Alton Bridge is a historic iron bridge that spans over the muddy waters of Hickory Creek and connects the city of Denton to the city of Copper Canyon, a little less than an hours drive from Dallas. Built by the King Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio, the 145-foot long bridge would serve area travelers for more than a century. Some folks believe that Satanists have performed dark rituals on the bridge and opened a portal to another dimension. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. The bridge was built in 1884, by the King Iron Manufacturing Bridge Company. However, water shortages forced politicians to move two years later, in 1848. This location did grow, and before long, it boasted a hotel and two stores. The third county seat location was designated in November 1850, about five miles southwest of present-day Corinth on Hickory Creek. now = new Date The ground was damp and hoof prints should have been obvious, but I couldnt find any!. Due to the great number of unexplained happenings at the Old Alton, the bridge has been the subject of a number of investigative paranormal shows, Ghost Adventures, and Buzzfeed Unsolved: Supernatural among them. Unaware of the plot against him, Oscar had rather harmlessly installed a sign on the Old Alton Bridge reading This way to the Goatmans. In response, the members of the Klan employed at the local police station drafted a law making it illegal to solicit anything at the bridge, and dually arrested Oscar in August of 1938. 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