independent local journalism in Dallas. Built by the King Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio, the 145-foot-long bridge would serve until 2001, when it was replaced by a modern, shiny concrete-and-steel bridge and a new road. agaudet@dentonrc.com, Anyone can be an artist at this new downtown Denton bar, McCarthy blasts Biden, Democrats over debt limit, The family has started a fundraiser for his funeral expenses. Mont, who was Black, was found dead in Hickory Creek, near the Old Alton Bridge outside of Denton. 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. 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. His parents said they were rattled not only by his passing but also the setting of his death, because they said it was uncharacteristic of him to be adventurous enough to jump from an old country bridge into a creek. 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. This is a very popular area for hiking, horseback riding, and running, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. He says he told Mont to call him once he got done, but Jones never got that call. Staff Writer When can my son have justice?" Create a password that only you will remember. 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. Staff Writer You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Built by the King Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio, the 145-foot-long bridge would serve until 2001, when it was replaced by a modern, shiny concrete-and-steel bridge and a new road. People always ask about it. Jones says about 20 minutes after he got that first phone call about identifying Monts body, he got another call from a Texas game warden, who said Monts body wasn't at the bridge. Winds S at 20 to 30 mph. When they looked down to see if he had died, the noose was empty. 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. (LogOut/ Years after the decline of Alton, an iron through-truss bridge was built in 1884 just south of the town site. 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. Signage for Old Alton bridge. The trouble with these sources is that there is no historical record of such a lynching. Choose wisely! Every morning, get a link to our newly redesigned e-Edition and the top Denton headlines you need to start your day. The post office closed forever in 1859. Staff Writer We are your resource for Hill Country travel, things to do, places to eat, Email Pablo Arauz Pea atparauzpena@kera.org. Locally, the bridge is known as Goatman's Bridge, as it is said to be haunted by a half-man half-goat figure called Goatman. Get exclusive coverage about business in Denton County in your inbox twice a month, with a focus on the housing market. Staff Writer Higher wind gusts possible.. Cloudy skies. The key findings of the report show his lungs were overcome by fluid, presumably water. It was constructed beginning in 1927, was replaced by the Clark Bridge and was demolished in 1994. 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. Authorities have said they received a call Monday just after 11 a.m. saying a teenager jumped in the water from Old Alton 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., Read another story from us:Investors pay over $1 million for California ghost town with a dark past. 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. You have permission to edit this article. Windy this evening. Some 50 years after the bridge was built, an African-American man called Oscar Washburn, settled with his family near the bridge. Stay up to date with all of the sports news coming out of Denton-area high schools. 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. She says the bridge is rumored to be the site of racist murders and Satanic rituals. Photo by Ron CC BY 2.0. Though it is called the Old Alton Bridge the community of Alton had already dispersed by 1884. A tragic turn of events led to Monts death in 2018. "legend says a group of Klansmen murdered a beloved black goat farmer on Old Alton Bridge in 1938. Merchant was found guilty of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Terence J . 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 can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Wikimedia CommonsThe Goatmans Bridge connects the area of Denton with Copper Canyon. We hope to spread knowledge and encourage discovery of our region's past. , 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. He became the target of the Ku Klux Klan and was killed by being thrown from the bridge. Old Alton Bridge, also known as Goatman's Bridge, is a historic iron truss bridge connecting the Texas cities of Denton and Copper Canyon. There have also been reports of inhuman screams coming from the nearby woods, or maniacal laughter sounding. Photo taken by the Denton County Historical Commission. All information in this blog was found in the Office of History and Cultures records and Shelly Tuckers book Ghosts of Denton. The simple yet sturdy bridge allowed developers to carry horses and automobiles across the river. Old Alton Bridge, where Lermont's body was found, carries its own mythos. Ashley N. Bottoms, 34, of Carlinville was charged with manslaughter and endangering the life of a child causing death in connection with the death of Hunter Lee Drew. The heavily traveled Old Alton Bridge remained in constant use until 2001 when vehicle traffic was moved to an adjacent concrete-and-steel bridge. per adult. dalton.laferney@dentonrc.com, By Juan Betancourt They asked me, Do you have a son named Lermont?" Jones said. 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. 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. According to local lore, this demonic presence was brought to the bridge by the ghost of a Black goat farmer who was brutally lynched by the Ku Klux Klan there. We also run the premiere real-estate site in the hill country at HillCountryRealestate.com. 12 The Royal Gorge Bridge. 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. Dont forget him. It was constructed beginning in 1927, was replaced by the Clark Bridge and was demolished in 1994. Thats just not him.. Jones says for several hours, his family scrambled to find Mont while police continued to search for his body. The Goatmans Bridge connects the area of Denton with Copper Canyon. With vehicle traffic removed, the bridge became an important link connecting the Elm Fork and Pilot Knoll Hiking and Equestrian Trails. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This is the official blog of the Denton County Office of History and Culture. Alton was later abandoned after its county seat was moved to the neighboring town of Denton at the end of the 1850s. [3] The belief is based on the legend of a black goat farmer named Oscar Washburn, who was said to have moved his family to a residence just north of the bridge. Hi there. us, which seems the perfect opportunity to revisit one of Dentons most Date Posted: 9/10/2012 5:46:00 PM. It was closed to car traffic and is open only to pedestrians today. The bridge takes its name from the abandoned community of Alton, which between 1850 and 1856 was the seat of Denton County. The Tarrant County Medical Examiners Office released its autopsy report and toxicology results Wednesday afternoon, revealing for the first time an official account of what caused the teenagers death. This article about a bridge in Missouri is a stub. Since the answer isnt likely to be definitively answered anytime soon, lets settle into the story of Goatman and his favorite bridge. The new townsite was located on a high ridge between Pecan Creek and Hickory Creek and was called Alton. 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. The Denton County location is notoriously haunted by the spirit of Oscar Washburn, or "Goatman," who was believed to be a former . Invalid password or account does not exist. Thank you. Lermont Stowers-Jones did not come home last Monday night, his family left with questions on the week of Thanksgiving. 14S E 676870 N 3667226. We are born and bred in The Nancy Bilyeau, a former staff editor at Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, and InStyle, has written a trilogy of historical thrillers for Touchstone Books. The last time Monts family saw him alive was a few days before Thanksgiving that year. 776. A similar tale to Washburns predates the building of the bridge, in which a group of cowboys lynched a goatherder called Jack Kendall. It can be. $76.92. This attempt was more successful. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. Regardless of which origin gets told, old timers warn that knocking three times on the trusses of the bridge is an invitation to judgment, since the ghastly Goatman only spirits away those with the bloodlines of Klansmen or slaveowners into the woods for his terrible revenge. In a panic, they returned to his family home and slaughtered his wife and children.[4]. If you don't know the sto. 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. The Argyle Fire District confirmed Tuesday that the boy, whose name has not been released by. The Old Alton Bridge is not only a picturesque historical location, but it is also said to be haunted by the "Goatman," giving the bridge its nickname. A reminder of Denton Countys transportation history, Old Alton Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988, and became a Texas Historic Landmark in 2010. The Old Clark Bridge was a bridge that carried U.S. Route 67 across the Mississippi River between West Alton, Missouri and Alton, Illinois. The terrifying encounters and reported vanishings have been so frequent as to warrant numerous investigations by paranormal groups. Winds S at 20 to 30 mph. Enjoy this 3.4-mile out-and-back trail near Corinth, Texas. "And I said, Yes. And they said, Well, you need to come identify his body at the Old Alton Bridge.. The Denton County Sheriffs Office, Texas Rangers and state game wardens have worked the case, and so far they have not indicated anybody will be criminally charged in connection with Stowers-Jones death. A public viewing is scheduled for 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church. The legend behind Old Alton Bridge has only amplified familial fears that Lermont's death might have been racially motivated. The 17-year-old, whose family called him "Mont," will be laid to rest at the end of this week. There is also another variation that predates the bridge itself. The last time Mont's family saw him. Waymark Code: WMF8M2. that have haunted our fair city over the years, but a few stand out as truly haunting. 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. By Jenny Anna Mathew. Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. Success! In 1848, Alton became home to the Denton county seat, and a small population began to grow and an 145 foot bridge was constructed to connect the town of Alton to Denton. . The Denton High School senior was found dead in the water near Old Alton Bridge on Tuesday. Denton High School student Lermont Stowers-Jones, 17, was found dead in Hickory Creek on Tuesday. 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. 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. Hi there. Authorities say 17-year-old Lermont Stowers-Jones is the boy who was found dead in Hickory Creek near the Old Alton Bridge on Tuesday. . At least one person left the scene after Lermont Stowers-Jones sank below the surface of Hickory Creek near Old Alton Bridge on Nov. 19, an official said Tuesday . 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 Stay up to date with all of the sports news coming out of Denton-area high schools. Not only is the Old Alton Bridge a picturesque historic site, but it is also said to be haunted by the "Goatman," hence the nickname of the bridge. Lermont Stowers-Jones' body was found in a Denton County creek in 2018. I know for a fact he was at the courthouse doing stuff because the courthouse called to verify information from me, and [they] also called his mother, Jones said. 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