Haunted Indiana: Edna Collings Bridge in Greencastle

 

Edna Collins Bridge - Photo from Putnam County

Greencastle, Indiana is home to one of the Hoosier State's infamous haunted bridges, the Edna Collins Bridge. Located in rural Putnam County, the bridge has a marker stating it was built in 1922. Also known as the Edna Collings Bridge and the Baby Bridge, it was the county's last covered bridge.

One of the more common stories about the bridge claims James Collins built it. James and his wife, Sarah, had several children and lived close to Walnut Creek. When they went to work at the local shoe factory, they wondered about what to do with Edna, their youngest child. While the older kids didn't need anyone to watch over them, the couple thought Edna was too young to stay home.

Edna loved Walnut Creek so much that when she suggested she simply spend her days there, her stressed parents quickly agreed. James and Sarah came up with a plan. They would drop Edna at the creek on their way to work and pick her up after their shift. Every night, James pulled onto the bridge, honked the horn three times, and Edna would bounce towards them.

That all changed on one fateful night. Tired after a long shift, James and Sarah pulled onto the bridge, honked, and heard nothing. After a quick search, they rushed into Greencastle and contacted the sheriff. Despite an extensive search, the only thing found of Edna has a ribbon from her hair. Life didn't end well for her parents either. Locals claim they divorced, James ruined his life by drinking, and Sarah hanged herself from the same bridge.

According to Greencastle lore, Edna Collins now haunts the bridge. If you visit at night, park on the bridge, and honk your horn three times, the ghostly little girl will appear in your backseat. While it sounds quite similar to the Bloody Mary legend, there are other stories about the haunted Edna Collins Bridge. Visitors report seeing shadows moving across the bridge and hearing a child laughing.

Even if you don't see Edna, don't be surprised if you see proof of her. She allegedly leaves small hand prints on vehicles that dare to stop on her bridge. One person who visited the bridge with a group of friends claims they saw their windows fog up and the prints appear as if someone was touching the glass.

But this is far from the only haunted tale. In another version, Edna disappeared while her parents were at work. When she wasn't waiting for them on the bridge, they searched Walnut Creek and found her drowned body. Another tale claims James built the bridge and named it after Edna after her drowning. When Sarah took her own life, locals left a piece of rope hanging from a nearby tree as a reminder of her. Carrying the rope to the bridge will lead to Sarah appearing in front of you.

I even found yet another version from someone who claims she read the story in the local paper. Amy Waggoner from Bedford said in 1996 that when she was a child, Edna went missing. The paper reported the young girl disappeared while swimming in Walnut Creek near the bridge. Police believed she was kidnapped and murdered.

The truth is that the Edna Collins Bridge was built to replace an older bridge. In the 1920s, a heavy rainstorm came through that washed away the concrete bridge over the creek. Once Walnut Creek went back down, local man Charles Hendrix came up with plans for a new bridge, which opened in 1922. I could not find any evidence why Hendrix gave the bridge its name, though I did some claims that it was originally spelled the Edna Collings Bridge.

Whether or not you believe the haunted tales, any fan of historic bridges will like visiting the Edna Collins Bridge in the Clinton Falls/Greencastle area. It's open every hour and every day on West County Road 450 in Indiana.