Haunted Ohio: The Screaming Bridge in West Chester

 

Screaming Bridge in West Chester, Ohio - Courtesy of Creepy Cincinnati

West Chester is a bigger city in southeastern Ohio. Located in Liberty Township, the city is maybe best known for Voice of AmericaMetroPark, which hosts a major country music festival every August. Others know the city for being home to one of the only IKEA stores in the state. I occasionally take a trip south from Dayton when I have a craving for Jack in the Box. Others know West Chester as the home of the so-called Screaming Bridge.

Officially known as the Maud Hughes Bridge or the Maud Hughes Bridge, it started as a railroad bridge. The Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati (CCC) Railroad offered regional service in the Buckeye State before merging with another line to form the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, and St. Louis Railway and then later becoming part of New York Central Freight. The bridge provided convenient access over the road which was a shocking 25 feet below.

One of the most devastating events in the region's history occurred on October 24, 1909. Two engineers were working as the train traveled from Union Township. Though they kept a close eye on the boilers, they missed the warning signs that it was about to blow. The explosion not only rocked the train, but also left the men with deep burns that eventually led to their deaths.

Their ghosts are just a few still found around the Screaming Bridge. Those unfortunate enough to visit late at night often see two men clad in black walking across the bridge. They tend to open their mouths in an attempt to scream but nothing comes out. Those who see them claim that they appear to move in the direction of Gano – as if following the same path the train originally took.

Built in the 1870s, the bridge was later replaced with one that was 28 feet wide and 116 feet long with five spans that stretched across the road below. A major rehab project in the early 1990s breathed new life into the bridge, but it wasn't quite enough. In 2014, reps for Butler County announced plans to close the bridge and replace it with a new one made from concrete. Though the bridge reopened, locals still call it the Screaming Bridge and claim to see, hear, and experience the same spooky things.

Most of the stories surrounding the bridge are nothing more than urban legends. I found an online article that states the accident that led to the death of two men occurred in a different Liberty Township and not the one in Butler County. Some legends sound more like stories parents tell their kids to keep them away from dangerous areas, including the ones about Satan worshipers coming out at night.

Locals told me the different versions of how the bridge got its nickname. Several claim that a couple drove across the bridge one night when the car stalled. The man decided to walk for help when efforts to restart the vehicle failed. Whether she refused to go with him or he demanded she stay behind, no one knows. He returned to find the car door in the same spot but his girlfriend hanging lifelessly from the bridge, a noose around her neck.

One story about the Screaming Bridge is similar to the crybaby bridge stories told across the Midwest. A young woman was excited to bring home her new baby but not so happy as hearing his endless cries. After her husband left her to raise the child alone, it didn't take long for her to reach her breaking point. She headed to the bridge, tossed her baby over the side, and then threw herself off the bridge. A few locals told me that visitors can hear both the baby crying and the woman screaming late at night.

Two other stories involve a young couple. In one version, the two were walking home from a dance when they had an argument. Upset at the way her boyfriend was acting, the woman turned and stumbled away into the darkness. She misjudged the distance and fell over the side to her death. A twist on this story claims that a couple was walking home when a fight broke out. In a fit of rage, the man pushed his girlfriend over the side. The screams you now hear are the last sounds she ever made.

Even those who don't believe the stories about the Screaming Bridge aren't sure what to make of the photos taken nearby. Many photos appear to show pale blue or white orbs floating through the sky. It's worth noting that those images all come from old film cameras. I've yet to see a photo taken with a modern camera or phone that shows anything supernatural.

Years ago, some friends and I made the drive south after hearing about the bridge. We were told to park in the middle of the bridge, flash our high beams three times, and we would see something dark and spooky. The only spooky thing we saw was another vehicle flying toward us. I can't blame the man for what he yelled at a bunch of teens parked in the middle of a bridge! I can say, however, that the bridge itself has a creepy atmosphere that makes it worth checking out.

The things that happen around the Screaming Bridge vary based on who tells the story. I've heard many stories and legends, including:

• A ghostly mist floats and spreads out around the bridge, even on lovely days with no fog.

• There's an invisible bridge that some claim appeared in photos they took.

• Translucent trains move across the bridge in the middle of the night.

• Visitors spotted strange figures clad in black robes with hoods covering their faces and heads walking under the Screaming Bridge.

• The bridge has a classic woman in white who not only walks across the top but also appears near the bottom and sometimes screams in pain or horror.

And then there's the school bus story. Tasked with trying to keep the group of kids heading home from a field trip, he took his eyes off the road for just a split second. When he looked back, he saw a strange silver orb flying towards the bus. He turned the wheel too quickly, causing the bus to crash into the bridge. All of the children on board died in the ensuing fire. An alternative version of this legend says that the kids were returning from a day camp when they crashed into the bridge.

Whether or not the Screaming Bridge in West Chester is haunted, you can visit it yourself. Leave a comment if you want to share your stories!