Photos
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Overview Photos taken May 2003 by Wayne Kizziar |
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Side view |
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Portal |
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Historic marker |
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National Register marker |
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Weight limit sign |
Facts
- Overview
- Through truss bridge over Hickory Creek on Copper Canyon Road in Denton
- Location
- Denton, Denton County, Texas
- Status
- Open to pedestrians only
- History
- Built 1884 by the King Bridge Co.; later bypassed
- Builder
- - King Bridge Co. of Cleveland, Ohio
- Design
- Pratt through truss
- Dimensions
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Length of largest span: 107.9 ft.
Total length: 145.0 ft.
Deck width: 14.1 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 15.4 ft.
- Recognition
- Posted to the National Register of Historic Places
- Also called
- Copper Canyon Road Bridge
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +33.12936, -97.10403 (decimal degrees)
33°07'46" N, 97°06'15" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 14/676867/3667227 (zone/easting/northing)
- USGS topographic map
- Denton East
- Inventory numbers
- NRHP 88000979 (National Register of Historic Places reference number)
BH 32948 (Bridgehunter.com ID) - Inspection (as of 06/1998)
- Deck condition rating: Poor (4 out of 9)
Superstructure condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Poor (4 out of 9)
Appraisal: Structurally deficient
Sufficiency rating: 5.6 (out of 100) - Average daily traffic (as of 1994)
- 570
Comments
There have been several disappearances on and around Old Alton Bridge. Most notably, one that occurred November 15th 1967. The Denton newspaper at the time did an article on a mustang found abandoned on the bridge and there were lots of people that reported other missing persons linked to the bridge and the "Goatman."
The story is that Klansmen raided the house of the Goatman, Oscar Washburn, and killed his family after attempting to lynch him over the side. The legend says that he disappeared over the side and now attacks anyone who crosses the bridge at night in an effort to protect his family.
I used to live in copper canyon, less than 3 miles from "goatman's bridge"... There's nothing spooky about it. I've been out there SEVERAL times, the entire neighborhood used to ride tractors out to the bridge at midnight every halloween and NOTHING ever happened!
Yall are retarded. We use to go out to that bridge every night and get high.
Ive heard several noices coming from the nearby trees next to the bridge. Ive heard if you visit the bridge during the dusk just about sundown you can hear the moaning cries of a goat among the trees...Never cross the bridge after darkness sets in!
Joe R. Lansdale wrote a mystery novel covering recent sightenings. In the book, "The Bottoms" young Harry Collins discovers a mutilated black woman's body hidden deep in the woods followed by more murders. He suspects the murders have been done by the Goat Man, and local legend of the creature says the creature resides in the local bottoms of East Texas.
This bridge is known locally as Goat Man's Bridge.
Beware the Goat Man !