ARLINGTON, Texas — One of North Texas’ most documented hauntings isn’t haunted at all.
“Yeah, pretty much everyone’s wrong,” said Josh Hamilton, owner of Ghosts of Arlington. “But it’s gotten so many people to come it’s taken on a story of it’s own.”
Hamilton gives ghost tours throughout the city and he says anyone who follows a narrow trail at Arlington’s River Legacy Parks may come upon "The Screaming Bridge".
Countless people have reported paranormal experiences at the graffitied bridge. Only, that’s hard to believe, because the bridge isn’t haunted. The real haunted bridge is no longer there.
Less than a mile away, at the end of a deserted road was the real screaming bridge.
It’s no longer standing, but when it was, it was made of wood and in 1961, a group of boys reportedly set fire to it causing part of it to collapse.
Oblivious to what lay ahead, six teenage girls driving home from a movie prepared to cross the bridge, only to plummet into the deep ravine below.
Three girls died and in the years that followed the stories began.
“Really there’s two big claims,” Hamilton said. “First, if you stand on the bridge long enough you can hear the faint screams of the girls.”
The other urban legend says visitors to the bridge could hear cries for help.
“What really happened is someone committed a crime and these girls were the victims of that crime,” Hamilton said.
It was a horrible tragedy, but for many another tragedy is what has become of their memory.
People have changed details and twisted facts to try and create fear. Hamilton says it’s important to tell their story, not use it to scare people.
“For me, that’s disrespectful to the people that died,” Hamilton said. “I think if you’re telling their story then I think you’re paying homage to the people that were there.”
Remembering the good someone brought to the world, even on Halloween, is never scary.