Haunted Bridges

Among the innumerable legends of haunted places, haunted bridges play a prominent role. Horrible accidents occur on bridges; corpses have been dumped off of bridges to hide evidence of horrible crimes; countless desperate people have chosen to jump off of bridges to end their lives. Think of it, how many ghost stories have you heard centered around a bridge with a phantom jumper? There are categories of bridges known as crybaby bridges and suicide bridges. Crybaby bridges are usually attached to legends of a mother drowning her child or babies being thrown into the water below—the angry spirit of the infant stays behind to haunt passersby. It is obvious what the other category, suicide bridges, are all about.

In the early part of the 20th century, there was a bridge in Chicago that served as a perfect example of a suicide bridge. The bridge was simply known as the High Bridge or the Lincoln Park Arch—because of the large arch that allowed sailboats to pass underneath—it was also referred to as the “Bridge of Sighs.” 

Built in 1892, in Lincoln Park, the bridge was the site of over 80 suicides until being torn down in 1919. The rusty bridge fell into a state of disrepair and was condemned; when no funds were available for repairs, the structure was demolished.

A Zanesville, Ohio newspaper penned the following in 1919:

Meanwhile the ghosts of those restless souls who faltered at the guard rail, then leaped, continue to haunt the famous arch. Ever since it was built in 1892 the bridge has been a trysting place for those who had a rendezvous with death. Disappointed old men and girls who were crossed in love, despondent youths, and the lurid ladies from the streets—all have sought the mysteries of the beyond from its heights. One man hanged himself from its girders, but all the rest chose to jump.

The same article stated that according to the chief of park police, spring and fall were peak times for suicides. The bulk of the suicides, according to police, were carried out by the broken-hearted after a failed romantic relationship.

It seems that in at least a small number of cases, depression and hopelessness, and the desperate feeling they bring, was not behind the suicide attempts. Rather, the bridge had a way of drawing people to it; there was a fascination and morbid curiosity. Consider the case of 21-year-old Alice Witte. According to a story in the Alexandria Gazette  that appeared in theSeptember 19, 1907 issue, Witte jumped off the bridge but she survived the plunge. Witte claimed to have had a dreadful fascination and was overcome by a desire to leap from the bridge. Police charged her with disorderly conduct.

Another famous suicide bridge, this one still standing, lies in the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, a park in Paris that opened in 1867. One of the bridges in the park became such a hub for suicides, that it had to be covered with a mesh material to keep would-be jumpers from leaping to their deaths.

In the United States, renowned bridges, such as the Golden Gate Bridge, tend to serve as suicide bridges. The Golden Gate Bridge is among the world leaders in suicides; over 1,600 people have jumped to their deaths. After years of debate and fights for funding, construction of a suicide barrier system began in 2017. The New River Gorge Bridge, in West Virginia, is another popular spot for those seeking to end their lives; about 3–4 people take the life-ending plunge into the great unknown each year.

I often wonder, are these bridges haunted? Could they be haunted, but the whizzing cars and volume of traffic keeps us from noticing?

In my book, Detours Into the Paranormal: Atlantic City Road Trip, I examine haunted bridges and ask if a well-known bridge that spans the Delaware River might become known as a haunted bridge someday.

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