ALGOMA TOWNSHIP, Mich. — As Halloween approaches, a local legend in Rockford continues to attract visitors to an abandoned bridge in the woods near Cedar Creek and the Rouge River.
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Known as "Hell's Bridge," the dilapidated metal footbridge sits a quarter-mile hike from Friske Drive and has earned a reputation as one of the area's most haunted locations.
The bridge's dark legend dates back to the mid-1800s, according to parapsychologist Christopher Schippers, Ph.D., who has investigated the site numerous times.
"It was originally a cement bridge that went over, this was in the mid-1800s," Schippers said.
Schippers adds that the legend claims that around that time, a local man killed several children near the bridge.
"He said that he was possessed by the devil, and that that was the reason that he did it," Schippers explained.
Schippers says, according to lore, neighbors decided to hang the man from a tree next to the bridge.
" After his lifeless body stopped twitching, the rope snapped. His body fell into the rushing waters and drifted away, never to be found," Schippers said.
Since then, the area has been thought to be haunted, with reported supernatural experiences occurring primarily at night.
"They say you're here around midnight, that you can hear a devil laughing or him laughing. It's speculated. Some people say that they've been out here and they hear children crying, whimpers," Schippers said.
"At nighttime, it's quite a bit spookier than it is during the day," he noted.
During his investigations, Schippers uses specialized equipment to try to detect spiritual activity. He recalled one nighttime experience at the bridge.
"While I was doing an investigation, it said the word witch, and within three seconds, the group that I had out here heard what sounded like a witch cackling," Schippers said.
Whether the legend is true remains a matter of personal belief, but the bridge continues to draw curious visitors and paranormal enthusiasts to the Rockford area woods.
For those interested in experiencing Hell's Bridge firsthand, Schippers is conducting tours on Halloween night.
More information is available by clicking here.
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