The Haunted Old Alton Bridge

by Allie on October 1, 2008

in Guest Posts


October is finally here and you know what that means…Halloween and spooky stories (no, today’s post is not on Oktoberfest).

So, do I believe in ghosts? Yes, but I believe that these ghosts are really spirits that have not made it to the other side and wonder here on Earth because they are still holding onto human emotions such as greed, revenge, sadness, anger or any combination of the preceding. Do I have any Christian doctrinal basis for this belief, no (or at least I don’t think so), however I do still believe that these entities exist. I believe other spirits are real and some walk among us today, whether they be good or evil. I further believe that some of us are able to sense and view these spirits more than others.

A while ago, I blogged about a bridge just a few miles from where we live. This bridge is one of our family’s favorite hiking and fishing spots. Once, I even saw a three foot alligator gar come to the surface of the creek that runs under this bridge. If seeing an alligator gar up close isn’t enough to spook you out, then I don’t know what is (actually, they aren’t all that scary).

This bridge is called locally as Goatman’s Bridge or historically as Old Alton Bridge. It used to connect Copper Canyon with Alton, a town that doesn’t exist anymore (if I’m wrong with that, please correct me). You can access the bridge from Lewisville/Flower Mound, Texas by taking FM 407 west to Copper Canyon Road (before Lantana) and turning north. Once you go a few miles up this very scenic road, you will come to a fork in the road. Stay right and continue for a short way. You will turn right into a gravel parking lot just before Teasley Lane in Corinth/Denton.

For time and reading constraints, I am posting a YouTube video to the story behind the Goatman’s Bridge below.
It is well worth viewing and very spooky. I now know why I get creeped out and feel like someone or something is watching me. It was a horse last time.

When I was a kid, the Old Alton bridge was passable by vehicles, but a modern bridge has been built down the road as the main part of the road. For more information about hiking here, please refer to my earlier post, ELM FORK TRAIL AND OLD ALTON BRIDGE.

Do you have a spooky story that you would like to share? Then send it to me at getitdesignservice (at) verizon (dot) net and I will share your story in an upcoming post. If it is really good, I might just share it in a post all its own.

In the meantime, keep the lights on (unless you’re not handing out candy!).
  • Vanessa Mayberry

    That IS spooky! What a fun place to visit on Halloween, eh?

  • Allie

    You know I’ll be there!

  • Candance

    David proposed to me right beside Goatman bridge and it wasn’t until I googled Old Alton Road that I knew the story about it being haunted. Everyone kept commenting how pretty the bridge was in all the engagement pictures and I kept thinking, “If you only knew…” That was probably a sign that I should’ve called off the wedding way before I did!

  • Allie

    Right before my hubby and I got married, there was a small earthquake that some of us felt. I think it was a sign from God telling us that this marriage was off to a rocky start!

  • Anonymous

    we visited Alton Bridge last holloween and me and my wife walked over the bridge and when we were almost half way across, my cell phone beeped and when I looked at the screen, I noticed my cell phone time and date on the phone displayed was 10:30 PM, 11-15-1967, i knew from my research that was the date of the goatmans murder, the time and date wouldnt change, we both got scared i felt a kind of electric shock and i threw the phone and if fell into the merky water below, we ran to the car which would not start for us for about 5 minutes, finally it started and we have not been back sense, something is going on out there. the goatman is still reminding anybody who will come, of his devestating loss of his family and his own life.

  • mike

    me and my wife visited Alton Bridge last holloween and we just wanted to walked over the bridge and see if there was any truth to the Tale of the Goatmans bridge, it was dark and scary just like it should be on Holloween, we started over the old wooden bridge, slowly listening to the creeks in the bridge, we were about half way across when my cell phone beeps, I grabed my phone from my pocket and I noticed no call or message thinking that was odd, then notice my phone displaying a weird date, 11-15-1967, I told my wife to look and the phone beep again diplaying that date, we both new from our research that was the date the murders took place, i got scared and tryed to change it but couldnt, my wife was freaking out saying ok ok lets go in a bit of panic, A kind of electric shock came over the phone and i threw the phone down on the brige, in my dis-belief and the phone fell over the side of the bridge into the merky water, we both ran back to the car, my wife, telling me hurry up unlock my door, hurry up, ok ok, as in my panic having trouble with the key, we finally got in the car, which now the car wouldnt start, not ever having this problem before, my wife is screaming please just get us out of here, after about 10 trys the car finally started and we took off with a very real feeling that there is some very real truth to the haunted bridge, i think he is trying to tell anybody who will come to see, what kind of cold blooded murder was unjustly done to a hard working man and his loving family and for what the color of his skin, reminding everybody who will listen how small minded people that judge others by the color of their skin and have such a hatred that they would kill because there different.
    sad but true.

  • Screwed Up Texan

    For all those that dont know, you may be interested in joining the Facebook group here:

    http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=64843435604

    “I’ve been to the Goatman’s Bridge”

  • texasholly

    Holy crap! I didn't know the story behind the bridge. I used to live in Argyle which meant most of civilization was driven to over the new bridge! That is craaaazy. and so sad.

  • TeeRoonie

    okay, okay…. but is there actual documentation about this supposed murder? i've seen the video, i've been out to Goatman's Bridge a dozen times or so as a teenager. As a college student shooting real estate for the Lewisville Leader (now the Lewisville Star) I drove over that bridge a couple of dozen more times. But you know, numerous small towns have a "Goatman's Bridge" or "Goatman's Road" or whatever. My husband grew up in Rowlett, there's a Goatman's Road out there. So, how can several places have a place by the same name? How many freakin Goatmen were there? lol, anyhoo, seriously… is there an old newspaper story or police records regarding some such murder on the Old Alton Bridge? ….as we all know, it's easy for someone to throw together a bunch of archaic images of a lynching and and say "oooohh, this man was hung on Goatman's Bridge that's how it got its name, blah blah blah"
    I know Missouri is the Show Me State, but in Texas we say You Can't BS a BSer :)

  • Screwed Up Texan

    TeeRoonie, The story of the Goatman's bridge is the same story I've been told through the years. I did not make the video nor do I know the person who did. My suggestion would be to visit the facebook page for Old Alton Bridge or ask the person who posted the video to YouTube.

  • Anonymous

    Hi: Perhaps TeeRoonie is right about the stories that get passed down… but whether that exact story is true or not is actually irrelevant.

    I moved here, incidentally, from the "show me state" and my house, located within a mile or two from the bridge, had so much activity in it that we finally moved out in the best interest of our children.

    I know nothing of the history of this area, but something bad had to have happened here…

    Anyone else seeing ghosts walking around out there?

  • Allirae

    i went there last night… there was an orb in one of the pictures.

  • Caroline Lawrence

    I went there today. It was in the daytime though. My brother told my family and I the whole story. Very Spooky! I did not know what to except. The bridge looked completely different from my vision. It was very unbelievable. We might be going there tomorrow night to see what all the legends are fussing for. -Caroline 

  • Rebbecaswift12345

    i went there today and i saw a orb and right at that moment i heard foot steps following me

  • http://www.facebook.com/petchulio Matthew Smith

    my team is going to conduct an investigation there tomorrow night. you can look our team up on facebook. Http://facebook.com/pastexas

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