Bloody Bridge of St. Mary's

Bridges represent so much to us.  They make the impassable, passable.  They connect us to the wider world.  Yet in folklore terms, bridges are magnets for ghosts.  Countless “crybaby bridges” dot the landscape of our great state.  We share and reshare tales of disembodied voices and misty shapes rising over the water.  

So you might think this episode is just another trite tale of a haunted bridge.  Thank again.  

Come hear the tale of the Bloody Bridge near St. Mary’s.  This legendary story has been published in local newspapers for more than 160 years.  It’s been written into a high school musical.  This wrenching narrative, a love triangle turned lethal, has captured the imaginations of Ohioans for generations.  

Locals believe the tortured spirits of those lost, remain.  They erected a plaque, set in stone, to proclaim a history still very much alive.

Special thanks to Ms. Alysia Hatfield and Mr. Warren Bowery for their personal insights on the subject.

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And as always, keep wondering…

Covert Affair - Film Noire by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100795

Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Transcript

Unknown: 0:03

Hello, and welcome to Ohio folklore. I'm your host, Melissa Davies. I'm so glad you could join me. Today, we're exploring one legendary Northwestern Ohio folktale over 160 years in the making. It's a story full of drama and intrigue, centering on the oldest of plots, love sought, love denied love found in the arms of another. For as long as humans have told stories, we pondered the workings of love falling in it, falling from it, and wrestling with the hurt that remains. Some of our most persistent legends turn on the focal point of this universal quest, that a finding another who affirms us, accepts us and completes our missing pieces. These kinds of narratives, at least the ones with the happy endings are what we call love stories. They're the stuff of romance novels, and romantic comedies. In the end, the hapless protagonist wins over the elusive love interest, and we cheer the happy couple on. We walk away from the story with a taste of what it feels like to fall in love, and be in love. Leaving our own sense of loneliness just a bit reduced as we dream of finding or perhaps building that same kind of happiness for ourselves. The story we're exploring today springs forth from the mid 19th century. The freshly dug Miami Erie Canal once stretched from the Ohio River in Cincinnati to Toledo's Lake Erie shores. It had just been completed in 1845. Along the route, this manmade earthen waterway plowed through remote fields and forests. It passed by a few dozen villages, large and small, from north to south. For those Ohioans living near it, this modern piece of civil engineering brought with it the promise and increased commerce travel and growth. Yet more than that, the canal brought something much less tangible. For you see, with the various mix of new people drawn by the jobs that created, some were sure to find disagreements with one another. For many young people, eager to start their adult lives, that canal brought a steady income. But beyond that, this work allowed an ordinary citizen to take part in the cutting edge technology that would change the landscape forever. So many had high hopes for what this monumental effort would bring. building and operating what they believed would become a modern thoroughfare. Most of the stories of those who lived and worked and traveled on the canal are now lost to the ages. But not the tale that I'm about to tell you. This tale has been told and retold for at least a century and a half. I'm not just talking about the oral stories passed from one generation to the next. This legend has been published in local newspapers for decades. It's engraved on a stone plaque at the site of the location itself. It's inspired the writing of a musical performed by local high schools. This story has permeated the cultural heritage of this section of Northwestern Ohio. I'm talking about the ghostly legend of the bloody bridge near St. Mary's. In my research on this love triangle turn lethal. I was surprised to see just how many times the story has been reprinted in local newspapers across Ohio since the late 1800s. The earliest mention I was able to find was from 1894. It was a front page article of the Cincinnati Enquirer dated November 10 of that year, and titled pretty many. It's written in that stereotypical 19th century language with a flair for the dramatic told with the flourish, filling the readers need for a little escape into something extraordinary. So imagine yourself in 1894 sitting down next to the fireplace, a pot of fresh coffee brewing on the stove as you lean back in your rocking chair to browse the front page headlines. Come hear this story, as Read by countless Ohioans of years past, seeking a sense of wonder at the world around them. There is scarcely a person in northwestern Ohio who has not heard of the bloody bridge. Few There are, however, who can recite the legend from which the bridge derived its ghastly name. The bridge is located five miles north of St. Mary's, Ohio, and crosses the Miami and Erie Canal four miles south of Casa at a point where the general country is level and in consequence, large earth and stone abutments became necessary that boats could pass under in safety. In the early 50s, Bill Jones and Jack billings were employed as drivers of two of the many boats that plied the waters of the canal. In those days, Bill handled the mules of the mini Warren, named after the captain's daughter, who presided over the culinary department of the boat. While Jack was employed in the same capacity with the daisy. Both bill and Jack fell head over heels in love with a pretty young cook. But her affections were all bestowed on the big hearted Jack Billings. A rivalry sprang up between the two men at first friendly that which grew to intense hatred for each other, and each trip. As the two boats passed and exchanged greetings, the rivals became more and more aware of each other's hatred, although they remained on speaking terms. As the meals passed on the towpath, the drivers would each wield an extra crack of their long whips, as though the poor brutes were the cause of the rivalry. Jack would exchange greetings with his pretty sweetheart. along in the fall of 54, both boats received orders for a cargo of lumber, which was being taken from the large timber lands adjacent to the fatal bridge. It required several days to load the boats and the young people became pretty well acquainted with the lads and lassies of the neighborhood. The evening previous to their departure, after the cargoes were all in shipshape, Jack and Minnie received an invitation to attend a party to be given by one of the country girls. It was to be the social event of that role district. And Bill was fairly crazed with anger at not receiving a bid. The hour for the frolic arrived, and the young people started off in high spirits at the thought of an evening of fun, and a being in each other's society for the whole evening. After the guests had played all the games, their youthful minds could conceive. The great front room or parlor was cleared of the crude furniture, and the whole assemblage was soon in the gay world of the giddy dance. It was in the wee small hours when the last guest departed, Jack tenderly supporting many on his great strong arm. They were only two sorry that it was all over so soon, and that by daylight, the boats would have to start on their trips, and perhaps they would not see each other again for a week or a month. They at last came to the bridge, which they had to cross to reach the boats on the Hill path side. They have proceeded about halfway across, when both were startled at seeing Bill Jones standing in the shadow of the abutment, with an axe in his hands. Whoa, whoa, my pretty pair. You have played it fine tonight, said Bill. But my turn comes now. Raising the axe to his shoulder and with a well directed blow. He brought it around with the velocity of a cannonball, the keen edge of the deadly weapon completely severing the head from the body of poor Jack. For a moment, poor mini stood as if in a dream, and then with the full realization of the horrible truth dawning upon her. She gave one wild shriek and spooned away, falling to the floor of the bridge. Her lifeless body rolled to the edge, where it balanced for a moment, and then went down to the watery grave below. The whole neighborhood was soon aroused by the one shriek from the grief stricken girl. But they were too late. And two loving hearts that were denied the happiness of a union on Earth were joined together before a higher Tribunal. The good neighbors rescued the body of many Warren from the dark waters, and tenderly it was laid beside that of her uncouth, but big hearted lover. Bill Jones disappeared, and no trace of him was found. And it was a general belief that he committed suicide as a human skeleton was found years after an old well nearby. This is the legend that gave the ghastly name to the bridge. The blood which flowed from the body of Jack billings, the boat driver marked the bridge, and for 40 years, the bloodstains defied the rain and weather. Four years ago, a new bridge was built, the old one becoming a property of relic hunters, nearly everyone for miles around securing a piece of blood stained timber as a memento of one of the most horrible crimes ever committed. This most horrible crime would be investigated some 40 years later by reporter text Elise of the Lima news. His August 1935 article details his efforts to understand the bridges appeal from those living far and wide from the location. After hearing the story, intrigued, onlookers just had to get a look at the place for themselves. Just like them do Luis went to the spot as well. The original bridge had been replaced. It was iron framed, and wooden floored. Nothing was left of the original bloodsoaked planks. 40 years of rain and weather couldn't cleanse the boards of Jack's blood. That's how the bridge got the name. The original remnants had been looted by locals who wanted a souvenir of the legendary structure, picking it clean and relieving the engineers of any disposal duties. Like any good reporter, Dewey's put his feet to the ground and sought out interviews with the people who knew at best, the locals. He had the good fortune to connect with the stoner family who lived directly across the road from the spot. Mrs. Stoner regaled him with family tales of the murder and his lasting impact. Her grandfather, Gideon sheiks had worked on the canal for many years while it operated. He'd known the story well and had been alive at the time it happened. And in his old age, he repeated the tale for all who would listen. It all happened in 1854. He was sure of it. Another bit of evidence revealed by Louise's investigation was the discovery of the nearby well. It's believed that the remains of the murderous Bill Jones were later proclaimed to have been found there. Harold folk, an owner of a St. Mary's milling company, owned a farm which ran adjacent to the bridge. One day, he'd made the gruesome discovery of the skeleton at the bottom of as well. That matched Bill Jones's imposing height and frame. Bill had gone missing in the months following the slayings all assumed it was indeed him whether he taken his own life under the weight of regret for the act, or whether some vengeful loved one had issued the Justice themselves. Now over time, most folktales evolve and grow. They take on new subplots, and are retold for more current perspectives. This is where the legend of the bloody bridge stands out. The story, as I've read to you from historical newspaper articles, reprinted year after a year, remains the same legend as told today. The characters, their motives, and the tragic outcome all stays the same. So much so in fact, that in 1976, the Auglaize County Historical Society memorialized a condensed version of the story and placed it on a plaque at the location. This plaque still stands in a small parking lot adjacent to the bridge This tribute to this enduring story was not its first bony met. However, the first monument was a large stone on which the story was engraved. While reaching out to locals, I had the great fortune to connect with someone who had seen this stone before it was removed and replaced by the plaque. Miss Alyssa Hatfield is a resident of St. Mary's, a true native, she has lived in the area all her life, and has had unexplained experiences at the bridge. She was gracious enough to share those experiences here with us today. She starts by recalling a childhood memory of an impromptu visit with her family. Come hear her story. I don't remember where we are coming back from but my mom had taken a video camera because I think we went out for a family day or something. And we were just coming back to that area. And when we got out, my mom, you know, just recorded it because she's making memories and everything of us being young and her taking us thread. So she made a video of us there. I could have sworn she had a picture of it. Like 100%. I know she had a picture of it. But I think she may have just taken the picture from her camera, and then printed it out and developed it separately, which I did call her and asked if she could find the video. But unfortunately, because it's been so long, it's just kind of been stashed somewhere that she doesn't know where anymore. Yeah, I can understand that about that. What year would you guess? This was? Oh, okay. Um, I would say early 2000. Okay. Yeah, early 2000. So we're talking about going on 20 years. That video is probably who knows where you have? Yeah. Can you describe the visual? So when we had watched the video, my mom has originally watched it first and everything. And we were at school when she had watched it. So when we came home, she was like, Girl, come here, you want to see something to scold us over. And she showed us the video. And obviously, it was just a video of us getting out of the car going up and reading the stone and then looking around. What was my mom was moving the camera around, you know, just getting the scenery of it. She had turned back towards the rock. And when she had turned back towards the rock, there was an imprint of a face pushing out of the rock. And I mean, I'm not saying like you could people would go oh, well, maybe you thought it was a face? No, there were defining features. You could see the bridge of the nose. You could see I like you could see the eye sockets. You could see a mouth pushing out open, you could see like the lining of the jawline and chin. Like it was a very prominent face. Like there was no mistaking. Yeah, so it wasn't like there's just these markings on the rock and you kind of put your your mind puts it together. I mean, what you saw was very distinct. Yeah, it was it was super distinctive, because we watch the whole video. And when my mom first goes over the rock record that there was nothing there. It was just the flat solid rock with the engravings. And then as she panned back over it, we seen the face pushing out. Oh, well that's kind of a whole other level there. Right. So there's an initial picture of it looking normal. And then coming back is where you see the face. Yeah. Oh man, and it was coming like protruding out of the rock. Yeah, it looks like like the little you remember the little toys, you could put people like kids would put their hands and it would have the imprint of your hand in it. It was kind of like that it looked like somebody was screaming and then pushing their face against the surface trying to get out. Wow, screaming that would be a bit intense to see that expression. Yeah, because like it was open mouth like the mouth was wide open. It wasn't like a closed mouth just somebody pushing their face through it was wide open mouth and then the rest of the defining features and didn't look like a male or female. Or it was it was male, just by like the structure from what I can remember. It definitely looks like a male head just because the nose itself was more like the bridge of it was a little bigger and wider than a woman's would be and then the mouth itself wasn't like big lift or anything. It was just kind of like thin lips. And it wasn't something you were seeing physically when you were there. It was only reviewing the video afterwards. Is that right? Yeah, we never seen anything on it like we had come up and everything we were looking at the rocks touching it reading the words and then looking around the bridge because I think when my mom had caught it on camera me and my sister were on the bridge looking over the bridge into the water. Hmm And that's you know, it's similar to what you're describing there is similar to the claims that I've read about in terms of those sightings there, it's usually has to do with, you know, looking over the water, is that when the viewer is looking over the water is when the ghost appears. So I mean, there's that commonality, I guess. Yeah, I know, there's, I know, I've heard people from when I went to school, because, you know, kids being kids, when they get their wife and son, they've heard about the bridge, like, Oh, we're gonna go there at night, because nothing's gonna happen. I have heard multiple stories from people going to the bridge at night and looking over the bridge, and then hear somebody come running up them. And when they turn, they see the figure of a man with an axe coming towards them, and then he disappears before it reaches. And while they're turned away from the bridge, they will hear a loud splash in the water like somebody had fallen in. So those specific sequence of events, and you've heard that from other people, you know, in their eyes. Yeah, I've heard that from other people that I went to school with who had gone and done it. And then when we went to the bridge, the third time, I was talking about it. And my boyfriend's nephew, was actually saying, Yeah, I've heard about that. And he's younger than me. Okay, so, you know, there's more accounts, and people, after you have had some unexpected, unexplained experiences, but but it all seems to relate to this legend, especially a guy with an axe and, you know, running and that kind of thing. Yeah, it all relates to the story itself. Right. Okay. Do you have any guesses as to who or what you think that they might have represented or what it was? Um, I think, with how brutal the murder of I think his name was Jack was, yeah, that could have easily been him lingering in that area, just because of how violently he died. Right. And he could have just been hanging out in that area and then happened to be attached to that stone because it's in the air. And we just caught it by accident and of him trying to do something or communicate in some way, shape or form. I mean, it's not hard to imagine, you know, if we believe in ghosts, and you know, here's a rock that tells the story of his brutal murder. You know, why he would be attached to Yeah, I mean, that's just it's letting everybody know, hey, this is how Jack billings died. And when people read it and say his name, it could easily just pull force, either his spirit or something along the lines of what remains of his spirit. Yeah. What may remain object building spirit, or perhaps any number of other worldly beings has been the topic of discussion for more than a century. It's a story that's been told at slumber parties. It's been divulged over barbarum tables. Locals have owned the tale as their own. A marker of the sordid lives once lived by their ancestors. This story holds so much clout that it's been written in stone for all to come learn. Not only do Auglaize county residents claim the story as their own, they want passers by, to come discover it for themselves. This unique piece of drama from a time gone by has captured the imagination of so many, not the least of which are local artists. To such people, a retired high school band director named Mr. Warren Bowery and his colleague and elementary school teacher by the name of Mrs. Celeste Ngozi were so inspired by the ghostly reputation of the bloody bridge that they wrote and produced a High School Musical on the subject. It was first performed at Otterville High School in 1994. Otterville is a tiny hamlet 25 miles north of the bloody bridge. It too, was once a stop on the Miami Erie Canal lock 16 as it was known back then. As a tribute to the enduring legacy of this folktale, these two educators created their first ever musical on the subject. They were both surprised and thrilled at the reception it received people from all around, especially those living up and down the historical canals many miles came to see the show. There is indeed a hunger for seeing this tale brought to life. If the spirits of those long dead do indeed remain at the spot. and perhaps they'd take solace and knowing they're not forgotten. But you don't have to take my word for it. For today's second interview, I've been so lucky to connect with Warren Bowery, the musicals composer. You'll hear him start by sharing how they decided on writing the musical in the first place. Celeste was the it was near the end of her teaching career. And she approached me in the teachers lounge one day and said, Hey, I'm writing a script for music. And would you be interested in writing the music? And I'm like, yeah, what's it about? And then she told me the story of the bloody bridge, because I had never heard that, you know, I'm not from around here originally. And, you know, if you drive by, I didn't go down 66 months, but you go down state route 66. And there's this the marker there little parking area. And you know, unless you know what it is, you would even think to stop. But she told me the story. She said that her husband, when they were dating back in the late 50s, early 60s, I guess, told her the story, and they went down there and, you know, just kind of creeped her out, I guess, is what he was doing. But see, became fascinated with it. And then when that booklet came out from the Canal Commission, she got the bug to write a musical about it. And she asked me if I would do it. And I thought, Well, sure. Not all she ever does this, you know, then within about two or three weeks, she said, here's a script, had lyrics and everything she said, you can start writing the music, like, okay, so it was cranking up the music, it was trying to, I was trying to get a song done about every three to four days, you know, because I only worked on it after school and in the evenings and stuff. And it took a lot of time, a lot of fixing things up. But the it was a lot of fun. But see, you know, I said I had a personal connection to her to her husband when they were dating. And to me, I just thought it was a cool story. So you happily or I don't know, we got kind of roped into it. But it sounds like you know, it was fun. It was a lot of fun. And plus, I got the director show, you know, I was going to do that. I knew that right off the bat. But and that was kind of nice having the the author right there the playwright on standby, for sure. change anything, you could do that. And it was it was great. I love how it comes up just organically out of her own experience. And then it just, you know, it's through some synergy or what have you, you name it. And it took on a life of its own. It really did. The kids had a great time with it. I mean, we had no problem getting, having people donate costumes for us to use from people that are I don't know what the group was, but they were in delis. They're kind of like reenactors for parades and things. So we got a lot of clothing from them. We didn't have a whole lot of expensive and that obviously because we wrote the story. So we didn't have any royalties to pay or scripts the buyer and yeah, so a lot of advantages that way, even though there was more work on the front end. Sure. Sure. So you've been to the location yourself. I've been down there a few times. But every time we were down there it was in the daytime, I've never gone down there at night. I I don't know I don't go looking for trouble. I've had a few experiences myself over the years. And like, I don't go looking for it because I didn't feel comfortable with anything I've ever had any dealings with so but, you know, just going down there. You know, obviously, it's not the original bridge. But it you know, a lot of people still say they go down there and they see things and nobody that I know personally has ever said they've seen anything or experienced anything down there. But it's still kind of neat to see. I guess. If he went down around a full moon, it would be kind of have a high creep factor. Yeah. Right. So I get the sense that you are open minded to possible unexplained phenomenon. You don't have any interest in seeking it out purposely. That's correct. I said I've had a few experiences. That's a story in itself. But yes, I don't really go looking for things like it. I like to watch some of those ghost hunting shows on TV, but you couldn't pay me to go. I just wouldn't, I wouldn't enjoy it. Yeah, you'll watch it from the comfort of your home. That's correct. And I think it's good that people are open minded. And don't assume that you know, all everything about how the world works, and that there could be some things that we still just don't quite understand fully. Yeah, so I think we've covered most of the questions that I had For you, were there any stones I left unturned? Anything else? One of the questions you had on there was about the public response. Yes, yeah. Cuz the musical. It was amazing. We were interviewed online, the TV, all the newspapers ran stories about it. I mean, some pretty in depth stories. Mike lackey, for the Lima news, wrote a, a, like a feature story on it. That was kind of neat. And all that publicity, really renewed interest in the bloody bridge and the history and the story. And it brought us a lot of audience that came from St. Mary's and Spencerville areas in particular, you know, usually we had about 200 seats on the floor in the old gym, and then we would open all three or four, five rows of the bleachers where they could sit and then the spotlight would be behind it. We had to keep moving spotlight higher and higher, because we're getting so many people in for those two shows. So yeah, I mean, it was a lot of it was word of mouth. But we had people from Lima, defiance area, like I said, always Spencerville and south. And he that holds at St. Mary's area. I mean, it was a it was very well received. The one thing that kind of surprised both Celeste and me, was near the end of the bridge, you know, of course, the one character gets his head cut off. And it rolls across the bridge. And people laughed. When they had rolled across the bridge, I thought maybe because it's kind of sound like a ball. It was made a plaster it's rolling cross a wooden bridge deck. I hope that's it, maybe, or maybe it was nervous laughter but people, they got a kick out of that. I thought, well, ways we could have made a little scarier as has, you know, the the character come back with the bloody X and go running off or something. Yeah, that might have been better than the head roll. But it was still memorable. Yeah. You know, it is what it is. And, yeah, interesting. You're mentioning the wide appeal. But it had, I think, stories there's a real appetite, especially for local folklore. And I find that whenever I do one of these episodes, I you know, wherever the location is, I reached out for local people to really get from their stories. And there's so eager to tell me, I don't have to, like pry anybody? Oh, no. Yeah. It's just so much a part of, I guess, kind of human experience that we want to share these unusual things with others. Our eagerness to share a story such as this is quite simply how folklore is made. There's a kind of magical quality, a discerning difference between an ordinary story and one that gets imbued with generations of lore. Like a living thing, a folktale drives roots deep into the bedrock of a region. It reflects something of our past of the people we once were. It reflects something of our presence of the values we celebrate, and the lessons we hold up. And sometimes, it echoes what we might yet become when some number of generations hence, others will tell tales of what it meant to live during our days. Today, you can find sections of the Miami Erie Canal, which yet remain. In fact, two locations offer replicas of 19th century canal boats, which can be written as a tourist attraction. This includes one operating section and Pequod, the other, and Grand Rapids offers the only surviving and functional lock in all of Ohio. Lucky writers aboard the volunteer get to experience the lock and action as part of the price of admission. Other areas of the canal vary widely in their state of disrepair. Remnants of long dormant locks can be found scattered along the route. certain sections like what remains between St. Mary's and dollfuss parallel to State Route 66 are yet navigable by canoe or kayak. It's this section where the banks have been most thoroughly preserved. The canal remains filled with water, the same as it once looked shortly after it was constructed. It's for this reason that this section of the canal was designated a national historic landmark in 1964. So whether or not you believe in the ghostly spirits said to inhabit the bloody bridge itself. If you go there today, you can be sure To see the canal in the same way, these long dead Ohioans once saw it with their own eyes. You'll just have to imagine the teams of meals along the towpath pulling wooden boats weighed down with cargo. There there's something uniquely satisfying about spotting fragments of this once bustling thoroughfare of commerce and travel. While much of the canal today is clogged with rotting trees are fully drained from compromised banks. There's something comforting and spotting places where parts are recognizable. It's a kind of monument to the heroic efforts of its construction. Countless men died while building it, and are rumored to have been buried in its banks. As morbid as that sounds, it reflects the cost we were willing to pay just to be more connected with one another. And those years before the railroad shorten distances between us, going somewhere was long, arduous, and usually something we had to do on our own. The canal became the first kind of mass transit, a way to travel with others, to go see other people and places. Once out of our reach. The canal offered a hope, not just for increased commerce, but for connecting with other Ohioans over wide expanses. And in the end, connection is what we're all seeking. I'm sure many rural Ohioans living in small villages along the canals route, dreamed of walking the streets of a lively city, like Toledo, or Cincinnati, the canal but such dreams and closer reach for them. Connection is also what sought by the enduring characters of the bloody bridge legend. Just like the rest of us, they seek love, acceptance and belonging and the thought of losing love. In Bill Jones's mind led to a jealous, murderous rage. The true lesson of the story, I believe, is that love can't be one only given it can't be demanded, only received. It's a common theory that ghosts are the ephemeral souls of those lost those searching for connections never made in life. Maybe the reason the legend of the bloody bridge sticks with us is the way it encapsulates that most elemental of fears. That of rejection, dismissal, and love lost just as we've met our Beloved. May you find love and keep love. And may you give love when it's hardest, especially when it's hardest. That's a lesson I think most wandering spirits could agree on. This concludes today's episode on the bloody bridge. I hope you've liked it. If so, please consider writing a review on Apple podcasts. It helps people find the show. You can find Ohio folklore at Ohio folklore.com And on Facebook. And as always, keep wondering