Share your thoughts or send a request

What happens when tragic history refuses to stay buried? In this episode, we’re diving deep into three of America’s most notorious haunted bridges, where folklore & historical trauma intertwine in ways that’ll make you question what you think you know about the past.

From the vengeful Goatman of Texas seeking justice for a 1930s lynching, to Civil War soldiers still trying to find their way home in Pennsylvania, to a furious woman in Vermont whose heartbreak turned into centuries of rage – these aren’t just ghost stories. They’re windows into the injustices and tragedies that shaped American history.

Join me for a journey through places where the past refuses to stay quiet, complete with genuine folklore research, personal commentary, and the kind of stories that make you want to drive with your headlights on.

**TRIGGER WARNING:** This episode discusses historical racial violence, lynching, and themes of injustice. Listener discretion advised.

References & Resources

- National Register of Historic Places - Old Alton Bridge listing (July 8, 1988)

- Texas Historical Commission - Denton County historical records

- Gettysburg National Military Park - Civil War battle documentation

- Adams County Historical Society - Sachs Bridge historical records

Published Research & Articles

- Newman, Rich. Haunted Bridges: Over 300 of America’s Creepiest Crossings (2016)

- Atlas Obscura - Haunted bridges documentation

- Texas Standard - “The Goatman of Old Alton Bridge: A tale rooted in Texas’ historical racial tensions”

- Legends of America - Alton, Texas historical documentation

Paranormal Investigation Sources

- Ghost Adventures (Travel Channel) - Goatman’s Bridge investigation

- BuzzFeed Unsolved: Supernatural - Old Alton Bridge episode

- The Paranormal Database - Bridge hauntings documentation

- Local paranormal investigation groups (Denton County, Adams County, Vermont)

Historical Context Resources

- Civil War Trust - Battle of Gettysburg casualty records

- Jim Crow Museum - Resources on 1930s racial violence in Texas

- Vermont Historical Society - 19th-century social history

Additional Reading

- Ranker.com - “The Most Haunted Bridges in the World”

- Ghost Attic - American haunted roads and bridges

- We Denton Do It - Local Goatman’s Bridge history and folklore

Want to Visit?

- Goatman’s Bridge: Old Alton Road, Denton County, TX (pedestrian access only)

- Sachs Covered Bridge: Waterworks Road, Gettysburg, PA (pedestrian access only)

- Emily’s Bridge: Gold Brook Road, Stowe, VT (drive with caution)

**Safety Reminder: These are real locations

Hello to all my fellow wanderers of the weird... the curious collectors of the uncanny... the strange and unusual souls who feel most at home in the shadows. Welcome to Creepy Shit.

Each week, I'll take you on a journey through genuinely haunted locations where the veil wears thin, unravel forgotten folklore that explains why that cold spot won't leave your bedroom corner, and share the essential knowledge.

No bullshit, no over-dramatic whispers, just the authentically creepy stories and spiritual survival skills you crave. Think of this as your paranormal field guide – equal parts campfire tales, cultural history, and "what to do when that shadow in the hallway definitely isn't your coat rack."

So come on, strange and unusual friends. Let's explore the unexplained together. New episodes weekly – for those who know the night has always held more truth than the day.

Follow on Instagram @creepy_shit_podcast for haunting images, paranormal evidence, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into the research behind each episode.

Share your thoughts or send a request

Deep in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin sits an eight-sided house with nine secret passages, underground tunnels, and 160+ years of documented paranormal activity. Built in 1856 by the town’s first mayor as protection against Native American attacks, the Octagon House quickly became a stop on the Underground Railroad—and apparently a permanent home for the spirits of the Brown family who lived there.

From spinning wheels mysteriously disassembling themselves to glowing eyes in the basement tunnels, this isn’t your typical ghost story.

Featured as the second-most haunted house in Wisconsin on the History Channel, the Octagon House represents something darker about human nature—the lengths we’ll go to feel safe, and how trauma leaves permanent marks on the places where it happened.

**Content Warning:** Discussion of slavery, Civil War deaths, and supernatural encounters.

QUICK REFERENCES & RESOURCES

Primary Sources:**

- Wisconsin Historical Society property records

- National Register of Historic Places listing (1972)

- Chad Lewis & Terry Fisk: “The Wisconsin Road Guide to Haunted Locations” (2004)

**Documentary Coverage:**

- History Channel: “Hidden Passages” (featured as #2 most haunted house in Wisconsin)

- Wisconsin Public Television: “Remarkable Homes of Wisconsin”

**Paranormal Investigations:**

- Southern Wisconsin Paranormal Research Group (2005)

- Southwest Wisconsin Paranormal Group

- Unexplained Research LLC

**Key Historical Figures:**

- Isaac Brown (first mayor of Fond du Lac, original builder)

- Edwin A. Brown (Isaac’s son, Civil War casualty)

- Ruth Edward (Pier) Brown (Edwin’s wife, primary spirit presence)

- Marlene Hansen (owner 1975-2016, former circus performer)

**Current Status:**

- Location: 276 Linden Street, Fond du Lac, WI

- Current use: Walton Recovery House (private facility)

- Public access: No longer available for tours

**Architecture:**

- Designer: Orson Fowler

- Built: 1856

- Style: Octagonal house with 12 rooms, 2 bathrooms

- Special features: 9 secret passageways, underground tunnel system

**For More Information:**

- Fond du Lac Historical Society

- Wisconsin Frights (hauntedfonddulac.com)

- National Register of Historic Places database

*Note: The Octagon House is currently a private treatment facility. Please respect the property and its current community purpose.*

Hello to all my fellow wanderers of the weird... the curious collectors of the uncanny... the strange and unusual souls who feel most at home in the shadows. Welcome to Creepy Shit.

Each week, I'll take you on a journey through genuinely haunted locations where the veil wears thin, unravel forgotten folklore that explains why that cold spot won't leave your bedroom corner, and share the essential knowledge.

No bullshit, no over-dramatic whispers, just the authentically creepy stories and spiritual survival skills you crave. Think of this as your paranormal field guide – equal parts campfire tales, cultural history, and "what to do when that shadow in the hallway definitely isn't your coat rack."

So come on, strange and unusual friends. Let's explore the unexplained together. New episodes weekly – for those who know the night has always held more truth than the day.

Follow on Instagram @creepy_shit_podcast for haunting images, paranormal evidence, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into the research behind each episode.

Share your thoughts or send a request

Dive deep into Lake Michigan’s most chilling true stories: the Rouse Simmons “Christmas Tree Ship” that still haunts the waters after sinking in 1912, and Waugoshance Lighthouse where a prankster keeper’s ghost terrorizes visitors over a century later.

Explore with me these well-documented ghost sightings, archaeological discoveries, and ongoing paranormal activity on America’s deadliest Great Lake.

Features the tragic tale of “Captain Santa” Herman Schuenemann and 17 lost souls, plus the infamous John Herman whose supernatural pranks continue to this day. Real history, real hauntings, real Lake Michigan maritime mysteries.

RESOURCES & REFERENCES:

•Wisconsin Historical Society Maritime Archaeology Reports

•Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum Archives

•National Archives Maritime Records (RG 21)

•Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary

•Rogers Street Fishing Village Museum, Two Rivers, WI

•Gulliver Historical Society Lighthouse Records

•“Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses” by Dianna Higgs Stampfler

•“The Historic Christmas Tree Ship” by Rochelle Pennington

•Jason Asselin’s 2016 viral ghost ship footage

•Manitowoc County Historical Society collections

•Multiple documented eyewitness accounts (1912-present)

All historical facts verified through primary sources and maritime archaeological evidence.

Hello to all my fellow wanderers of the weird... the curious collectors of the uncanny... the strange and unusual souls who feel most at home in the shadows. Welcome to Creepy Shit.

Each week, I'll take you on a journey through genuinely haunted locations where the veil wears thin, unravel forgotten folklore that explains why that cold spot won't leave your bedroom corner, and share the essential knowledge.

No bullshit, no over-dramatic whispers, just the authentically creepy stories and spiritual survival skills you crave. Think of this as your paranormal field guide – equal parts campfire tales, cultural history, and "what to do when that shadow in the hallway definitely isn't your coat rack."

So come on, strange and unusual friends. Let's explore the unexplained together. New episodes weekly – for those who know the night has always held more truth than the day.

Follow on Instagram @creepy_shit_podcast for haunting images, paranormal evidence, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into the research behind each episode.