Photo from ReneLibrary. An honest businessman, his goat raising business was a success. 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 location has already been featured on Ghost Adventures: Extra Pulses. Treat has written about numerous local places and personalities at his. Visit the series page for additional sources. 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. Details of Disappearance. Passing over any bridge as antiquated and creaky as the Old Alton, its normal to feel a little unsettled. The ground was damp and hoof prints should have been obvious, but I couldnt find any!. Apparently this commenter left a link a website, goatmansbridge.com which repeated the claim with no citation. However, not everyone was pleased with Oscars newfound success and acceptance within the North Texas community. So who knows maybe this series will appear on his channel, Ill try to keep an eye on it and I will update you if there is any movement there. And, yeah, I mentioned this in the beginning, but I suspect that theres some mental health stuff surrounding some of Bobs posts and stuff. 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. Residents making their way over the bridge late at night have reportedly heard her ghostly wails, and others have spotted her crying at the bridges center. theYear=now.getYear() Finally, water shortages forced the county seat to move to a new site in June 1848. Despite the warmth the community displays toward the bridge, another feeling altogether permeates the hot summer air when wandering down the Old Goatmans Bridge at dusk; a feeling of deep, almost primordial terror of what lurks beneath. [6] The 16-minute, $6,000 film premiered on December 29, 1988 at the Uptown Theater. The bridge also became an important junction connecting the Elm Fork hiking trail to the Pilot Knoll hiking and equestrian trails, reverting the bridge back to its original use of transporting horses and their riders. Become a member to support the independent voice of Dallas 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.. Authorities don't believe Harrod was harmed by a stranger. The episode claimed Satanic rituals had been performed under the notoriously-haunted bridge. I don't bring people out to Goatman's Bridge very often but people always ask me about it. 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. 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. Dallas is a city known for its expensive taste; expensive cars, fancy food, and luxurious hotels are in no short supply here. However, no goatman. This series is the true story ofhow I became The Goatman. Old Alton Bridge aka Goatmans Bridge,' is a now infamous old haunted bridge near Denton Texas. My paranormal experiences became a local sensation in Denton, TX and remained the most viewed videos for awhile , even after others began to upload their own experiences. Some folks online have given a name for the person who supposedly uploaded this video. Within a few years, Oscar had built a reputation for himself as a reliable and trustworthy businessman and a valuable member of the community. But, Pinckneyville would hold the title only two years and never develop into a town. Harrod was last seen at his residence in the 500 block of Carnation Drive Placentia, California sometime between 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. on July 27, 2009. . Oh also, when I originally wrote a lot of this, Bob had deleted his YouTube channel, but as of today, August 6, 2022, he seems to have reactivated his YouTube channel. Investigator Aaron Goodwin was allegedly thrown during filming, and host Zak Bagans claimed he was compelled by a spirit to choke himself. The bridge first served as a route for riders on horseback. 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. According to Micah Carlson Crittendens University of North Texas masters thesis published in May 2020, The Tall Grass West Of Town: Racial Violence In Denton County During The Rise Of The Second Ku Klux Klan: Due to shifts in the public perception of white criminality and lynching as a violation of due process, white lynchings in Denton County stopped in 1880 and never resumed.This meshes with some other older reports I found on the bridge, in which the goatman seems to be white (or at least his race isnt mentioned). The monster was the subject of a 1988 film by Louisville filmmaker Ron Schildknecht called The Legend of the Pope Lick Monster. 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. Ghost Adventures fans are in for a spooky treat Thursday night. 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. 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. But like I said, theres more than one version that attempts an explanation for a century of recurring frights and sights encountered at the bridge. As of 8/6/22, he had deleted his account completely. I want to know what happened to my son." 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. [2] This bridge is the subject of several ghostlore stories featuring a vengeful ghost. 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. Maybe that spirit is that of La Llorona, who is well known as haunting the rivers of the Southwest. Goatman. The bridge was built twenty-five years later and dubbed the Old Alton Bridge.. All rights reserved. Washburn was never seen again, they say, but a vengeful spirit has haunted the Old Alton Bridge ever since. 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. In a panic, the Klansman returned to the Washburn residence, and killed his family in cold blood. 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. Texas Hill Country. Legend further holds that the Goatmans Bridge provides a gateway into Hell. Goatman Bridge is a nickname for Old Alton Bridge in Argyle, Texas. The 33-year-old college graduate an accomplished traditional dancer with ancestry from three area tribes was last seen soon after, walking across a bridge near a place marked End of Road . Whether its Washburn or Kendall haunting the bridge, lots of strange things have happened around the Alton Bridge. In addition to Washburn's story, the Ghost Adventures crew investigated reports of demonic activity on and around the bridge. Over the years it gained more notoriety as I began to uncover and post more of the mystery, opening thousands of peoples minds in person who came to visit and happened to stop to have a chat with that ghost hunting guy and his beagle always at the bridge. This was completely opposite of what the area is like in the daytime. Local high schoolers often trek there at night, the. Lermon Jones. In February 2022, a "six-foot goat man" was supposedly seen near a village called Staverton, in Northamptonshire. Gradually, these carriages were replaced by automobiles, which were supported equally as well by the bridges sturdy truss structure. A rash of mysterious disappearances are becoming alarmingly routine on a. And I am pretty sure that it took place in the 1930s, not 1800s, because the bridge wasnt built until 1884 i think. Halloween is upon Stranger stories even include people having seen a creature that resembles a half-goat, half-man. They reconnected by telephone after their spouses died and then met in person, and decided to get married only six days later. The tale continues that when travelers crossed the bridge at night with their headlights off, they would meet the Goatman on the other side. On a dark night in the late 1930s, a lynch mob of Kluxers stormed Washburn's shack and dragged the screaming Goatman to their noose waiting on the bridge, tightened the rope around the begging Oscar's neck, then mercilessly flung him over the side. 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. Goatman's Bridge: A Suicide Hotspot - with Author Becky Vickers | Clips Embed 2 *Taken from episode 20. The investigation led to some terrifying moments for the crew. The Denton County location is notoriously haunted by the spirit of Oscar Washburn, or "Goatman," who was believed to be a former . Many of his neighbors bestowed upon him the affectionate nickname the Goatman.. The Ghost Adventures crew is in Denton, Texas, investigating Goatman's Bridge. Most notably, one that occurred November 15th 1967. November 15th 1967: police discover an abandoned car beside Old Alton Bridge, five miles south of Denton, Texas. Ever since that fateful day, several strange things have reportedly occurred on and around the bridge. In Denton County, Texas near the ghost town that once was Alton a bridge was constructed at the Hickory Creek in 1884. 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. Most ghosts are given names because we need to feel like we can know them. 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. There are many Denton ghosts Becky Vickers is the author of the book The Secrets of Goatman's Bridge. The Denton newspaper at the time did an article on a car found abandoned on the bridge.. The legend goes that Kendalls body reanimated through the power of voodoo, ripped off the head of a nearby goat, and replaced his head with the goats as the astonished cowboys watched in horror. Whenever a sighting of this ghastly figure occurs, a string of mysterious disappearances is sure to follow. Many who have crossed at night. Though Commissioners were appointed and directed to lay out a town and sell lots, no records were ever done, and no public buildings were ever erected. 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 bridge was built in 1884, by the King Iron Manufacturing Bridge Company. However, water shortages forced politicians to move two years later, in 1848. Some folks believe that Satanists have performed dark rituals on the bridge and opened a portal to another dimension. After securing it around Oscars neck, they tossed him over the side. independent local journalism in Dallas. This change was enacted to correct a glaring problem that had arisen when the bridge transitioned from carrying horses to carrying cars. But, unfortunately, some did not welcome a successful black man within their midst. 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 many spirits calling this place home, but . His living was raising and selling goats. He had no known medical conditions when he disappeared, although he did have some short-term memory problems like being unable to remember phone numbers. About 3.5 miles from the present-day town of Corinth, in Denton County, Texas, once stood the small village of Alton, which, for a decade, served as the Denton County seat. The person said: "There have been several disappearances on and around Old Alton Bridge. I went there back in highschool with a group of people. Rewriting Urban Legends: An attempt to trace the current tales of the Goatmans Bridge to their source: a 2008 YouTube video that contained seemingly new information about the urban legend, including some information that linked the story to the Mothman legends. 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. November 15th 1967: police discover an abandoned car beside Old Alton Bridge, five miles south of Denton, Texas. Four women with personal reports of demonic attacks were featured on the episode. Road 2181), Denton, Texas. There have been four known lynching events of white people in Denton County since its founding, and the reason for white lynchings was typically horse theft. Copyright 2008 - The new bridge straightened out a sharp curve on both sides of the creek and provided additional travel lanes. Join the Observer community and help support [3], Media related to Old Alton Bridge at Wikimedia Commons, Last edited on 22 December 2022, at 05:16, 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", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Old_Alton_Bridge&oldid=1128827248, This page was last edited on 22 December 2022, at 05:16. There's the bridge, and then there's . \r\rSince the disappearance of the Goatman there have been many strange sightings on and near Old Alton Bridge. Though it is called the Old Alton Bridge the community of Alton had already dispersed by 1884. No Goatmans Bridge legend ever existed or was ever mentioned in any of your Texas legend/myth or ghost story books (even those published as late as the early 2010s.). 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. The bridge and surrounding woods is said to be haunted by a demonic creature with the head of a goat and the body of a man as well as other reported . While some bridges are inhabited by pesky creatures such trolls, the Old Alton Bridge harbors a monster of a much darker nature. 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. Some say the two ghosts are connected, and that years ago, the Goatman stole the young womans baby. 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). https://web.archive.org/web/20100920155235/http://www.asup-inc.org/oldaltonbridgecase.htm. 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. 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 panicked Klansmen frantically searched the area unsuccessfully before rushing to Washburns shanty, setting it afire with the Goatmans family shrieking inside, perhaps to bait a desperate rescue attempt by the vanished Oscar. And luckily for us, the video description was a wall of text almost 900 words long. It was just me, my equipment, my dog and the Spirits.. who grew more accustomed to my energy presence the longer I spent out there and got to know what this place was, how beautiful it truly was at night, when the rest of the world just came looking for a quick jump-scare or half-man half goat/ghostly headlights/knock 3 times to summon the demon/goat hooves sounds/shadow figure etc (the Legend quickly began to spin and soon I would realize I set events in motion that nobody EVER couldve expected. 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. The church is located at 5724 Teasley Lane ( F.M. 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. I tried to PM him on reddit on 4/4/22, but he doesnt accept private messages. With vehicle traffic removed, the bridge became an important link connecting the Elm Fork and Pilot Knoll Hiking and Equestrian Trails. The new townsite was located on a high ridge between Pecan Creek and Hickory Creek and was called Alton. This video titled Paranormal Activity at Goatmans Bridge and its follow-up response Still Dont Believe? quickly went viral and became the top search results for the following couple years. Last updated June 16, 2017; two pictures added, details of disappearance updated. But for this particular bridge, those feelings may be more grounded than not. 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. Notably, the article mentions neither Oscar Washburn nor a disappearance in 1967. 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 Around 2:30 p.m, his son in-law drove off to Home Depot to pick up supplies. Some of the posts he commented on were about the Old Alton Bridge, Texas Hauntings, or similar topics. 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