Avon, Indiana's Haunted Bridge

Avon Haunted Bridge--Source: Visit Hendricks County

Avon, Indiana is a small town located in Hendricks County, almost in the center of the state. And, like most small, mid-western towns, Avon is home to a local urban legend: The Legend of Avon Bridge. 

In typical urban legend fashion, stories as to why exactly the bridge is haunted not only differ depending on who is telling the tale, but also can't really be proven or disproved by historical documentation. Further, the stories as to what the 'haunting' entails also seem to differ from telling to telling, making the location a quintessential urban legend hot spot!  Here's what we do know:

The Avon Bridge can be found in Washington Township Park, its distinct arches spanning across County Road 625 East. Built in 1906, the bridge was designed by engineer, W.M. Dunne for the Big Four Railroad.  Today, it is still owned and operated as an active train bridge by CSX.

It's also one of the most popular places to go at Halloween for a little spooky fun!

Stories tell that one of the workers who built the bridge, sometimes noted as an Irish worker, and sometimes an African-American one, drunkenly slipped and fell into the wet cement used in the construction of the massive arches. His body was never recovered, and his ghastly moans for help can still be heard, over 100 years later, each time a train crosses.

Another story involves a young mother who was taking a shortcut home across the train bridge while carrying her baby. While on the bridge, a train quickly approached, and the young mother was caught off-guard as to what to do. She went to set the infant down, but it fell to the ground below the tracks, causing the mother to subsequently fall after it.  Both were killed, but again, when the train rumbles by overhead, people below the bridge can hear either a woman's mournful scream, a baby's wail, or both. 

It's customary to honk your car's horn as you drive under the bridge, presumably to drown out the eerie sounds that you might hear, especially if you're passing under the bridge on Halloween.  But, a word to legend trippers---by some accounts, the area is closed after dark, so if you want to experience the spooky sounds of the Avon Bridge, you'll have to go before dusk. Feel free to blow your horn as you drive underneath, but take a second to stop and listen; if there's a train overhead, ghost or not, you're sure to hear some strange sounds! 

Sources and Further Reading:

Visit Hendricks County: The Legend of the Avon Haunted Bridge, by Ericka Bethel. 22 October 2020

WishTV: Avon's Haunted Bridge: The Truth Behind the Tales, by Nina Criscuolo 27 October 2017

Indiana's Haunted Bristol Opera House

The Bristol Opera House was built in 1896 by Cyrus and Horace Mosier, brothers from Elkhart, Indiana.  It opened in 1897 with a production of U.S.S. Pinafore by the Arion Company, and quickly became a showplace for Bristol's arts and entertainment.  Over the years, the Bristol Opera House tried to keep up with the growing needs of the community, as well as advancements in technology.  It served as a music hall, a cinema, and even a skating rink, all before 1940.  However, that year, the aging structure was deemed unsafe for anything other than storage...a position it held onto for 20 years.

In the early 1960s, the former Opera House was still declining, and slated for demolition when the Elkhart Civic Theatre company swooped in and saved the building, eventually bringing it back to its former glory and turning it again into a showplace for Bristol's arts and entertainment community. It's reopening was in July of 1961. Today, the old Opera House is still home to the Elkhart Civil Theater, but its also home to a few resident ghosts.

One such ghost that calls the theater home is a little girl the staff have named "Beth."  Beth's apparition has been spotted at stage left, peeking out from behind the curtain and peering out into the audience.  Another presence is that of "Helen," a middle aged woman who seemingly watches over and protects the directors and producers of the various shows.

And finally...there is Percival.  According to the stories, Percival was a former handyman who worked at the original Bristol Opera House in exchange for room and board, after he and his family lost their home in a fire.  Percival is seen as a trickster, and anything that goes wrong, from electrical disturbances to missing tools and/or props is blamed on Percival.  Percival really doesn't like musicals, so much of the annoying behavior seems to occur when such a production is going on.  But Percival's antics don't end there; he is often felt brushing up against actors and guests, and has even been known to grab and jerk an actor back as he's making his entrance onto the stage.  Ladies have an especially difficult time with Percival as he is often seen hanging around the women's dressing rooms.  He's also seen in the right aisle of the theater.

Links:
Photo and more info from Dread Central
Elkhart Civic Theater Homepage
A 20th Century History and Biographical Record of Elkhart Co. Indiana