Most People Don't Know The Story Behind Texas' Abandoned Bridge To Nowhere
By Katie Lawrence|Published March 15, 2018
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Katie Lawrence
Author
Katie Lawrence is a Southeast Texas native who graduated 18th in her high school class with a GPA of 4.25. She attended college in the Houston area and began writing for OnlyInYourState in 2015.
Today, Katie writes, edits, and performs several other tasks for OnlyInYourState and has never been more passionate about a job before. Outside of work, you can likely find her curled up on with a hot cup of coffee, practicing yoga, baking, or exploring the beautiful Lone Star State (in particular, the vast and mystical West Texas desert).
Given the sheer size and extensive history of our state, it stands to reason that there are plenty of abandoned communities sprinkled throughout Texas. One such town goes by the name “Baby Head” – and if you’re thinking how grim that sounds, you’re exactly right. There’s a bridge near the cemetery with a past gruesome enough to be the city’s namesake, and you’ll definitely want to keep scrolling to read all about it.
The bridge is part of Baby Head Cemetery, the only remnant of the old pioneer settlement that existed here near the turn of the century.
Baby Head initially grew into a thriving community with a post office, school, courthouse, and several other businesses. Unfortunately, the town began to dwindle overtime and eventually had a population of only 20. Nobody knows the exact cause of the sudden desertion, but some speculate that the city's gruesome name might have had something to do with it.
So how does this creepy bridge come into play? Well, we have to dive into the town's history to explain that. Legend has it that, sometime in the mid-to-late 1800s, a band of Native Americans kidnapped a young girl - the daughter of a white settler - in an attempt to prevent further encroachment from the unwelcome arrivals who were starting to make their way across this very structure.
The girl was allegedly killed, decapitated, and her head was marched back across the bridge and mounted on a stick at the foot of a large hill that was deemed "Babyhead Mountain." This is how the town's name was born, and for some reason, it stuck despite its gory and tragic roots.