The Story Behind This Haunted Texas Bridge Will Give You Nightmares
By Katie Lawrence|Published August 05, 2016
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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).
It’s the middle of the night, and you’re driving across Old Alton Bridge in Denton. You’ve heard a few stories about it, but you’re a skeptic, so you just shrug them off and don’t think twice about entering the lair of a bloodthirsty ghost. Right when you’re about to reach the end of the bridge, your headlights shut off. Then, your car stalls and refuses to start back up. You’re racking your brain for logical explanations…and that’s when you see him.
This bridge is home to a creature called the Goat Man, whose story is one of hatred, rage, and tragedy. Now, he haunts it looking for innocent victims to unleash his anger on. Will you be next?
The bridge was built in 1884 and led to the home of a black man who raised goats, otherwise known as the "Goat Man." His business thrived, and while most North Texans praised him for his success, the local Ku Klux Klan members weren't quite as thrilled at the idea of a colored man moving up in life. So, they decided to take matters into their own hands.
One dark and dreary night in August of 1938, the men crossed the bridge with their headlights off, snatched the man from his home, and hung him over the edge. When they looked down to make sure the deed had been done, they saw the noose...but no Goat Man. Had he escaped alive, or was his ghost doomed to haunt the bridge forever? For fear of the former, the Klan members returned to his home and massacred his entire family in case he should come back and give them up.
After the Goat Man's disappearance, strange things began to occur on the Old Alton Bridge. People have reported seeing an apparition with a herd of goats trailing behind him, a headless specter holding a goat head in each hand, and even a creepy half-man, half-goat hybrid creature.
In addition to ghostly sightings, eerie noises are also commonplace when night falls. People have described hearing horses galloping along the wooden planks, frantic splashing in the creek below, crazed laughter like that of a madman, and sinister, inhuman growling coming from the woods lining the bridge.
If you decide to visit, beware. You may see lights with no apparent source, your car doors might lock on their own, and your vehicle might even break down altogether. But all of that is just child's play compared to what could happen. I wasn't sure if I should mention this or not, but you deserve to know. Since 1967, police have discovered countless abandoned cars and investigated a number of missing persons cases where their last known location was this very bridge.
Legend has it that if you cross the bridge with your headlights off just as the Klan members did, the Goat Man will be waiting for you on the other side. Are you ready to meet him?
Check out these videos of the story behind the Goat Man and an actual ghost hunting session on the bridge before deciding if you’re brave enough to endure the terror yourself:
Have you dared to visit the Goat Man’s bridge? Are there any other haunted bridges in Texas?
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