One Of The Most Haunted Bridges In Arkansas, Cotter Bridge, Has Been Around Since 1930
By J.B. VanDyke|Published February 02, 2021
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J.B. VanDyke
Author
J.B. Weisenfels has lived in rural Arkansas for three decades. She is a writer, a mom, and a graduate student. She is also an avid collector of tacky fish whatnots, slightly chipped teapots, and other old things. In her spare time she enjoys driving to the nearest creek to sit a while. If you were to visit her, she'd try to feed you cornbread.
There’s nothing like a good, old-fashioned boomtown to bring to mind stories of ghasts and specters. The town of Cotter may not be the largest town in North Arkansas anymore, but it is home to some amazing trout fishing, natural beauty to take your breath away, and the largest Marsh Rainbow Arch Bridge still in existence. The R. M. Ruthven Rainbow Arch Bridge, which was built in 1930 and renovated in 2004, is wonderful architectural marvel, but some tales indicate it may be hiding some sinister happenings under its lovely trusses.
The Cotter Bridge is a man-made wonder with a delightful history that begins in 1930, when it opened up more of the Ozarks to motorists. It sits, grandly, near a sleepy little community that boasts a population of over 900 and famously stretches the span of the White River, a world-renowned destination for trout fishing.
That’s the story of the Cotter Bridge on the surface, and that would make a lovely article all on its own, but we’re here today to talk about the legends of Cotter Bridge—the myths and spooky stories that swirl around its pillars like the White River itself.
If you visit the bridge at night, for example, you might just find yourself hearing the sounds of children at play. Children at play, at night, on a bridge? Well, actually, the children have been spotted playing on the railroad bridge near the Cotter Bridge at night.
The truth is, we don’t have any evidence to prove those children are ghosts. But we don’t have any proof that they’re not ghosts, either. Personally, this writer has enough faith in the good people of Cotter that I’d like to believe they’d never send living children out to the railroad tracks, on a railroad bridge no less, near a large river, in the dark, alone, with only our palpable fear of their creepy, small, disembodied voices to supervise them.
The other common tale about the Cotter Bridge rears its spectral head more often, and it’s a good deal more terrifying, too. While there might not be anything particularly dark about ghost children minding their own business, this tale involves folks seeing the apparition of a woman being chased by hounds.
No one knows who the woman of Cotter Bridge is, but it’s hard to imagine her story as anything but sheer horror and suffering. No one knows why the woman’s ghost is on the run, but between her screams and the baying of the ghastly hounds close on her heels, there hasn’t been a lot of opportunities to ask her.
The Cotter Bridge is a lovely architectural marvel with a rich history, a whole lot of scenic beauty, and even some function in the biosphere of the White River. We know all of that for sure. Whether or not it’s also the chilling site of ghastly apparitions cannot be confirmed . . .
Did you know about the hauntings at the Cotter Bridge? We’d love to hear all about your roadway-related paranormal experiences in the comments! You can also nominate your favorite local haunt or haunting on our nomination page. We love local legends.
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