BACKGROUND
The term "Crybaby Bridge" is an urban legend given to bridges that are assumed to be haunted that when you park your car or stand on or under the bridge, you will hear a person crying, most often a baby. There are dozens of Crybaby Bridges in Ohio, however, the most notorious one is the Crybaby Bridge in Salem. The Crybaby Bridge was a motor vehicle bridge located on an what used to be West Pine Lake Road off of Egypt Road in Salem, Ohio. It is unknown exactly when the bridge was built, but recorded stories of the bridge occurred as far back at 1977. Sometime during the 1980s, the bridge and road were decommissioned, causing the road to be blocked off. The bridge is very hard to find because the section of the road where it is at is closed off and trees and vegetation have grown over the old, rusty iron bridge.
There are many urban legends surrounding the Crybaby Bridge. Perhaps the most popular story is that of the death of a baby, hence the bridge's name. In 1977, a couple were arguing on the bridge and failed to recognize that their three-year-old son had wandered off and ended up falling off the bridge into the creek below and drowning. Another version of the story tells that the baby wandered away from its mother and fell into the creek drowning, and the mother soon jumped in as an effort to save her child, but both of them ended up drowning. The father soon came to the scene only to find his family's lifeless bodies drifting in the water, causing him to panic and run into the dark woods in an attempt to find help, never to be seen again. Legend has it that if you go to the bridge at night, you can hear the baby's cries.
During the 1970s, many suicides took place on the bridge, including reports of five teens who committed suicide by hanging off of the bridge. In 1983, apparently a strange satanic cult was formed and practiced often at the bridge. Many animals were found dead near the bridge that were allegedly sacrificed by the cult. There's a legend that an old woman, variations say that she committed suicide or was sacrificed by the aforementioned cult, haunts the woods of the bridge. There's also a report that a lady threw her baby off of the bridge to its death and hung herself afterwards. In October of 2010, the body of a 60-year-old woman was found near the bridge who was murdered and burned, and no one has been able to identify the suspect. Experiences at the bridge include hearing the cries of a baby, unexplained noises, and entities attempting to push people into the creek. With all these urban legends, it is no doubt that the eerie and notorious Crybaby Bridge is one of the most haunted places in Northeast Ohio.
Source(s): Dead Ohio, The Strange and Spooky World of James A. Willis
There are many urban legends surrounding the Crybaby Bridge. Perhaps the most popular story is that of the death of a baby, hence the bridge's name. In 1977, a couple were arguing on the bridge and failed to recognize that their three-year-old son had wandered off and ended up falling off the bridge into the creek below and drowning. Another version of the story tells that the baby wandered away from its mother and fell into the creek drowning, and the mother soon jumped in as an effort to save her child, but both of them ended up drowning. The father soon came to the scene only to find his family's lifeless bodies drifting in the water, causing him to panic and run into the dark woods in an attempt to find help, never to be seen again. Legend has it that if you go to the bridge at night, you can hear the baby's cries.
During the 1970s, many suicides took place on the bridge, including reports of five teens who committed suicide by hanging off of the bridge. In 1983, apparently a strange satanic cult was formed and practiced often at the bridge. Many animals were found dead near the bridge that were allegedly sacrificed by the cult. There's a legend that an old woman, variations say that she committed suicide or was sacrificed by the aforementioned cult, haunts the woods of the bridge. There's also a report that a lady threw her baby off of the bridge to its death and hung herself afterwards. In October of 2010, the body of a 60-year-old woman was found near the bridge who was murdered and burned, and no one has been able to identify the suspect. Experiences at the bridge include hearing the cries of a baby, unexplained noises, and entities attempting to push people into the creek. With all these urban legends, it is no doubt that the eerie and notorious Crybaby Bridge is one of the most haunted places in Northeast Ohio.
Source(s): Dead Ohio, The Strange and Spooky World of James A. Willis
THE MISSION
LOCATION
Address: 1529 Egypt Road
Salem, Ohio 44460
Coordinates: 40°55'47.2"N 80°49'47.8"W
Status: Closed
Salem, Ohio 44460
Coordinates: 40°55'47.2"N 80°49'47.8"W
Status: Closed
GALLERY
The pictures displayed below were taken by members of the group during the mission (January 28, 2017).